There are few greater food experiences than opening your front door on a warm summer morning to a bright and colorful box of locally grown or sourced food items. Now, with the arrival of spring, this delight can be yours. The 2022/23 community-supported agriculture (CSA) cycle is beginning and we’ve got a guide to get you started.
A cherished springtime tradition in the Roaring Fork Valley, CSAs offer residents the opportunity to become members of a farm by purchasing small shares of the farmer’s goods. By signing-up for a CSA, members not only receive a beautiful box of produce, meat, eggs or mushrooms, and more. They also support the local economy, resilient agriculture, the land we love and their own bodies with nutrient-dense foods.
Additionally, CSAs are a great way to get to know farmers directly, as many will personally deliver the food, or invite members to visit the farm to pick-up their items.
Check out page 13 for a small compilation of CSAs available in the Roaring Fork Valley. If we have missed any, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
CSAs fill up fast, so it’s best to sign-up early! If your chosen CSA is full, you can ask to be put on a waitlist or save this guide for next year; and if cost is a concern, please speak with the farmers directly, since many of them offer sliding scales and payment plans.
Specialty CSA
Specialty, single-source farms
Quien: Dooley Creek Farm, LLC | Carbondale
970-963-2452
Schedule: First week of the month starting in August for one year
Pricing: Small ($1,565) and family ($3,095) share sizes
Delivery: Monthly doorstep delivery within a 50-mile radius, and an option for farm pick-up
Farming practices: Regenerative and organic
Offerings: Frozen cut meats that include chicken, beef and pork — see website for specific meat portions
Add-on: Eggs
Sign-up: www.dooleycreekfarm.com/csa
Fast Food Fact: The Valley’s only local meat CSA
Quien: Toadstool Traditions LLC | Carbondale
www.toadstooltraditions.com
Delivery: Pick-up at Craft and the Launchpad in Carbondale
Farming practices: Organic
Offerings: Lion’s Mane and Oyster Mushrooms are available in three share options: half-pound, one-pound and two-pounds
Sign-up: Contact Mateo: toadstooltraditions@gmail.com
Fast Food Fact: Growing rare, out-of-season gourmet and functional mushrooms
Photo by Will Sardinsky
Single source CSA
Quien: Two Roots Farm | Basalt
970-376-6039
Schedule: May through September
Pricing: $995 for the entire season, or $585 for every other week
Farming practices: Regenerative
Offerings: Typical boxes have about 10 items that include greens, root vegetables, alliums, seasonal treats, herbs and fresh snacks
Add-ons: U-pick flowers, local farm fresh eggs, pasture-raised local meats, prepared food products using Two Roots Farm produce (eg salad dressings) and local, organic fruit
Delivery method: Weekly or bimonthly farm pick-up
Sign-up: www.tworootsfarm.com/csasignup
Fast Food Fact: Two Roots Farm has partnered with local food banks, Lift-Up, Pitkin and Eagle Health and Human Services, Pitkin County Senior Center, Safe and Abundant Nutrition Alliance and individual local families, according to owner Harper Kaufman
Quien: Peach Valley CSA Farm | silence
970-876-2850
Schedule: June through October
Pricing: Several options available on their website
Delivery: Weekly doorstep delivery with the option for farm pick-up
Farming practice: Biodynamic
Offerings: Each share box includes an extensive array of root vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, main vegetables and seasonal fruits
Add-ons: Honey, heirloom turkeys and flower bouquets
Sign-up: www.peachvalleycsa.com
Fast Food Fact: A small mom-and-pop farm, Peach Valley is beginning their 32nd year of CSA share.
Quien: Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) at Rock Bottom Ranch | Basalt
970-927-6760
Schedule: June through September
Pricing: $650 for 18 weeks
Delivery: Weekly farm pick-up
Farming practices: Regenerative
Offerings: Every share includes six to nine “backbone crops” (eg greens) and seasonal rotation crops (eg broccoli); the last share of the season includes fall storage crops (eg onions, potatoes, and winter squash)
Sign-up: www.aspennature.org/rock-bottom-ranch-2022-csa
Fast Food Fact: One of ACES’ three education centers in the valley
quien: Seed Peace / Wild Mountain Seeds | Carbondale
www.seedpeace.org / www.wildmountainseeds.com
Schedule: June through October
Pricing: $30 per week
Delivery: Pick-up at local farm stands with locations TBD.
Farming practices: Regenerative
Offerings: A sample box includes pint of cherry tomatoes, bunch of carrots, two onions, one cucumber, a half-pound of lettuce, chard or kale and a small bag of basil
Sign-up: Contact: csa@seedpeace.org
Fast Food Fact: Seed Peace offers many beautiful farm-original vegetables grown from their own seeds
quien: Borden Farms, LLC | Delta
970-874-5383
Schedule: Mid-June through September
Pricing: $550 for 16 weeks
Delivery: Weekly deliveries to Aspen, Carbondale, Edwards, Crested Butte, Ridgway and Telluride, with pick-up locations at farmer’s markets
Farming practices: USDA Certified Organic
Offerings: Seasonal produce that includes herbs, fruit and vegetables (eg heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, beans, melons and more); juicy peaches are available in August, and roasted chilis in the fall
Sign-up: www.bordenfarms.com/csa/
Fast Food Fact: A family farm that has been providing fresh, locally grown produce to the Western Slope for over 27 years, according to farmers Guy and Lynn Borden
Quien: Sustainable Settings | Carbondale
Schedule: Early June through mid-September
Pricing: $800 for 16 weeks
Delivery: Weekly farm pick-up
Farming practices: Biodynamic and organic
Offerings: Eight to 10 seasonal items each week
Sign-up: Contact: rose@sustainablesettings.org
Fast Food Fact: Co-founder Rose LeVan said, “Supporting any one of the amazing farms from Aspen to Rifle is supporting your local food shed; they are all doing good work! Pick one and join today!”
Multi-sourced CSA
Food distribution CSA provides goods from a variety of farms
Quien: Farm Runners
csa@farmrunners.com
Schedule: June 7 through Oct. 18
Pricing: Full size ($850), half share ($500), flex share ($50 per week) and a full share with an egg add-on ($1000) for 20 weeks
Delivery: Weekly doorstep deliveries in the RFV and Gunnison Valley
Offerings: All shares include rotating items of fruit, vegetables, and the occasional good (eg juice, canned produce.); full shares include eight to 12 rotating items, and half shares are four to six items
Add-ons: Eggs
Sign-up: www.farmrunners.com/csa/
Fast Food Fact: A weekly newsletter is included to showcase farmers, recipes, and storage information
Quien: Happy Belly CSA | Hotchkiss
719-439-9778
Schedule: Mid-June through October
Pricing: Regular share ($44/week) and a family share ($62/week) for 16 weeks; delivery is added on at the end
Delivery: Weekly deliveries with pick-up in Montrose and the Roaring Fork Valley
Farming practice: Organic and holistic
Offerings: A regular share contains around seven vegetable varieties, whereas a family share contains up to nine varieties; both shares include fruit
Add-ons: Eggs and a weekly flower share starting soon
Sign-up: www.happybellycsa.com
Fast Food Fact: Working closely with several local farmers, in addition to her own farm, Blue Tractor Farms, owner Carin Frantz said, “We thread together a holistic, multi-farm experience, and provide weekly menus and recipes delivered to your inbox. You’ll never be left wondering how to use your produce each week.”