**Updated 3/03/2026 with current links**

CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) have been around for in some form or another since the mid 1980’s- which first struck me as a much shorter history than I’d imagined. But, then I realized that the CSA idea came about jointly from both Farmers and consumers looking for new ways to grow good food- and eat good food.

This was one way to make a concrete change in how those consumers ate, and who grew their food. The basic idea of a CSA is that farmers get the purchase price up front to help cover costs of the upcoming farming season. With farmers knowing that they have that money, they are able to move forward with confidence, and maybe without a bank breathing down their necks…

The rewards for a member of a CSA are manyfold; fresh in-season produce boxed up and ready to go weekly at a pick up location of your choice, often with a newsletter or recipe ideas included. As I see it, the biggest reward is building a relationship with a farmer.

My husband and I purchased our first CSA back in 2010 while I was still working full time. It is kind of funny that I can’t remember the name of the farm, but I do remember I picked up my weekly boxes from one of the quaint little shops (The Nest) in downtown White Bear Lake. I never met the farmer, and there was never an invite from the farmer to do so.

Things have changed, on both the farmer and the consumer sides. Farmers are being more proactive in forging relationships, and consumers are looking for more than good food grown cheap- more and more, the people buying CSAs are doing it for a chance to connect to a farm, a farmer, a piece of land…and to benefit from the GOOD food these farmers provide.

Now that the CSA idea has had time to take root- it has also branched out in a few different directions. For this article, I’ve chosen a few local farms that represent the wide variety of options available to those of us lucky enough to live around the Twin Cities. Each of the following farms has a unique twist to them, showing again there’s so many ways to grow good food!

I would absolutely recommend any of the farms covered- but I’d also urge you to do your own research too, there are more and more (yay!) CSAs popping up every year. Currently, according the powerful MNGrown CSA search engine there are 86 CSAs in Minnesota. Use these ‘case studies’ as a launch pad to get yourself thinking what you want out of a CSA…

All Good Organics

This is the family farm that decided to build their own little Farm Store instead of packing up and taking their food to Farmers Markets (except the ones I run!)

Their Farm Store is open year-round 8am-8pm and is run mostly on the honesty policy. They do things their own way, and wow- is it working! This is truly your local, organic family run farm. You could go and pick out your veggies each week from what’s out in the farm stand, but you’re guaranteed the first flush if you sign up for the CSA.

They grow over 70 varieties of veggies. They also have eggs, meat chickens and whole and half hogs available for purchase. They’re open to possible farm tours and have a hay wagon at the ready.

For those of you that made it out to the last White Bear Lake Winter Farmer’s Market, this was the farmer table with all the fresh produce- and awesome sour kraut, salsa and frozen veggies. Butch mentioned how excited they are for this up-coming growing season, “We already have spinach, Romaine, Radish, Kale growing in green house now.”

All Good Organics

6657 Centerville Rd,
Lino Lakes, MN

16 Weeks
On Farm Pick Up

All Good Organics CSA ONLINE SIGN UP

TC Farm 

TC Farm is a group of sustainable family farms dedicated to raising
the very best food.

High Standards:

• Regenerative Practices – Building soil and protecting the planet
• Pasture-Raised – Animals on grass daily, not “access to” pasture
• No GMO’s – Ever. In feed, in fields, or on your plate
• No Drugs – No hormones or growth stimulants ever
• Certified Organic Produce – No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
• Community First – Supporting local farms and families

TC Farm CSA

• Full Season – 20 boxes – Starts June 22nd (weekly-only)
• Half Season – 10 boxes – Starts June 22nd (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Quarter Season – 5 boxes – Starts mid-July (weekly or bi-weekly)

CSA Sign Up 

 THE GOOD ACRE

I hung out at The Good Acre a while back to understand more about what all this Food Hub does on the East side of the Twin Cities. Full article HERE. One of the most impressive pieces to their food cycle help, is the way they bring together so many farmers to offer the public a unique “Farm Share”. The new term represents their CSA well because of the large number (20+ this season) of different farmers working together to grow for you.

While not all organic, “Growers verify that they are using growing practices we deem safe for the land, air, and water around their farms. They are able to do that with the help of their full-time Grower Support Specialist, David VanEeckhout. David has over 20 years of organic farming experience, and he works very close with TGA’s growers during the season to help them with crop planning, pest and disease management, as well as soil fertility and growing in hoop houses,” Nikki  Warner, TGA’s Marketing Manager explained. The farmers own their own land, but use the power of group sourcing with TGA as a way to market their produce more effectively. The results are delicious.

The other reason this CSA made the list is their truly phenomenal list of possible add-ons. Because part of TGA’s Food Hub is their community kitchen where many local  food producers got their start, they have access to an amazing array of hand crafted products made from locally sourced foods. Such as: breads, honey eggs,  jams, kimchi, kombucha, salsa. I know, I’m drooling too.

The Good Acre CSA
1790 Larpenteur Avenue West, Falcon Heights, MN

18 weeks
26 + Drop sites

The Good Acre CSA 

EAT LOCAL!

Of course, farmers markets are my happy place, so if a CSA seems like to big of a commitment, check out your local farmers markets for others ways to support local food and the people that grow it!

Many of these farms have early bird pricing that is almost up, so check them out while the getting is good. If you’ve been on the fence about jumping in and buying a CSA, hop down off that fence and into that greener pasture- you AND your farmer will be happy you did!

Can’t wait to Dig In,

Michelle

The post CSA’s So Many Ways appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Just driving to this unique teaching farm makes my mouth water. Admittedly, that doesn’t take much, but the foods grown here are second to none and the farmers have a lot of fun along the way. Food integrity is deeply rooted in every choice made at the Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms; plus they give one mean tractor ride! Come along and fall in love with this vital and idyllic farm on the outskirts of Marine on the St. Croix.

They grow organic food in a way that honors the land and engages marginalized people. This is truly a one of a kind place. Being a land-based training program focusing on immigrant and minority populations you could meet farmers from many distinct cultures just walking through their fields. The diversity within the program is seen as another strength which drives their mission:

To build a more sustainable food system based on social, economic and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships. 

Women run Big River Farms. From L to R, Danielle Piraino, Laura May Hedeen, Emily Squyres, Lebo Moore, Molly Schaus.

The education piece of their mission is achieved through their Farmer Training Programs . The training is a 3-4 year program starting with the basics in organic production and post-harvest handling moving up to whole farm management where farmers hone their marketing and business development. Classes are held in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate working adults. “There are currently 17 farm teams in the program, 11 of which are land-based at Big River Farms – the others have other land or are taking classes only, without using the land. There are 7 cultures represented in this group,” according to Laura Hedin, MFA program manager.

Interested in taking the next step in growing your inner farmer? Contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org.

With a deep and solid list of teaching staff like Molly Schaus, Farm Director and May Lee, former student (see my blog post about her farm HERE) the 90 acres of certified organic land is well planted, well rested in between use and always well loved.

Farm Plot Allocation Map. Planning time up front ensures land health in the long run.

The training program has led to several success stories over the years. Farmers like Rodrigo and Juan Carlos of Cala Farms who have found a great market in wholesaling. Or Moses and Rhona of Dawn to Dusk Farm who focus on Farmer’s Market sales. These and other MFA graduate farmers’ stories can be found on their Meet the Farmers page.

CSA Box of Vegetable Heaven.

Eat Out Of The Box
With all the care and devotion new farmers give to their crops you know the veggies placed into a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce box are going to be top notch! Add in certified organic food and competitive rates with other CSA farms and buying a CSA from Big River Farms is a natural choice. Their CSA program also supports many different farmers simultaneously. They can supply up to 200 shares for the season’s 16 weeks. That will help you eat your veggies and support immigrant farmer education at the same time. They have 12 drop locations around the Twin Cities. You are in luck, because there are still CSA shares available through May 31. Get your Big River CSA here.

Growing into the Name(s)
Like so many great organizations this one was started by a group of concerned citizens who got up and did something about what they believed in. Back in the 1980’s freeway construction and development claimed the St. Paul Farmer’s Market’s 80-year site. The group believed moving the market back to an historical location in 1853 of 7^th and Wabasha would keep both the public and the farmers well served.

May Lee (Mhonpaj’s Garden) in her greenhouse on Big River Farms

Once they accomplished their first goal the group realized there were more ways they could help local, small scale farmers and the people that loved their food. Lead by Ken Taylor, this original core group also helped start the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, (MISA) still a thriving part of the U of MN Agricultural Department.

Established in 1983 the MFA has gone through an evolution to match the changing food needs and population of its community. The farmer training program began in 1998. By 2007 they were distributing food at markets under the farm name Big River Farms and 2008 saw them gain Organic Certification.

The land that the farm now encompasses was leased from the Wilder Foundation. The foundation had used it as an example of what a farm looked like and had built many of the buildings and dug the well and started irrigation to some of the fields, a pretty sweet deal for the farm to find!

The MFA is primarily funded by federal grants, along with a few valued family foundation grants and sales of produce via the CSA shares and farmer’s market sales. Competition for the limited funds has grown exponentially over the years which has lead to MFA to join forces with another long-time food advocate, The Food Group.

The Food Group offers free and wholesale foods to food shelves state wide, which fulfills part of its mission. They have long believed that emergency food access is necessary but not the only way to aid hunger; and have created gleaning groups, the ‘Fare for All’ and ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ programs.

Look for innovative programs as these two organizations put their heads together. On the horizon is managing 3 ½ acres within Harvest Park in Maplewood, starting with a cover crop this year and other crops TBD! What a beautiful use of land.

Stillwater Bee Club keepers after installing a hive on Big River Farms

When I was there two bee keepers from the Stillwater Bee Club happened to be installing a new hive  inside a newly set electric fence (to keep the black bears away from the honey). It was a living example of how fundamentally interested the staff is in building community around food. Also, the smoker for the bees smelled so good!

Down on the Farm

There are some great chances to meet some of the 17 farm teams and get one of those tractor rides in this summer! Tour the Big River Farm along with other local farms during the Coop Farm Tour  on Saturday July 15, 10am-4pm.  Big River Farms tours will be family-friendly and feature live music, wagon rides, farm-fresh snacks, games and prizes. Or join Big River Farms for the end of season Harvest Party on October 15^th.

I do love my farmers!

Whether you join the CSA program, tour the farm, take some farm classes, buy their food at one of the many Farmer’s Markets they sell at, or buy a really cool T-shirt like I did-  I dare you to dig in and be a part of the mission of Growing Farmers Growing Food.  Like they say, Global Farmers, Local Food. For this wanna-be farm girl, knowing the people behind Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms are working on food advocacy, nestled into the rolling farm land, does my heart (and my family’s health) a world of good. Let it do you some good too.

Dig In
Michelle

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