Choose the share that's right for you. CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE SIZES.

A large share supplies the most variety and quantity and is ideal for a family of 4 or 5, or a smaller family that cooks frequently.

A medium share is ideal for a vegetable loving couple or small family. Some folks in the past have found this share is a great option to explore what a CSA is all about. It is a great learning experience for first time CSA members letting them eat healthy and support a small family farm.

A small share is suitable for a single person or a couple with a small appetite.

We offer full-season vegetable shares as well as several ad-ons: fruit shares, egg shares, and a 10 week flower share.

Next, select where you would like to pick up your share. Currently, our CSA serves three communities: Brandeis University, and the Towns of Winchester and Woburn. We offer distribution at Brandeis University, in Winchester, MA at the Whole Foods on rte. 3. as well as at the Winchester Farmers Market.

We raise over 100 varieties of vegetables, including over fifteen different sweet corn varieties, over twenty types of heirloom and cherry tomatoes, carrots, peas, beans, eggplant, peppers, pumpkins, squash, radishes, spinach, mesclun mix, strawberries, asparagus, raspberries, blueberries, cucumbers, lettuce, herbs, garlic, onions, potatoes, broccoli, rainbow chard, flowers, melons and much more!

Our official pick-up is at the Woburn Whole Foods on Tuesdays, from 3:30-6:30. We set up your produce in a market-style set-up, and you fill your bags with your weekly share of delicious, healthy produce! We encourage you to bring the whole family!

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We are also offering a Fall Only share option for students, faculty, and staff of Brandeis University. The 8-week fall CSA is designed primarily for students who do not live on campus in the summer months. We offer two Fall Share sizes: Extra Large (enough to feed a large household or to split amongst 5-6 people) and Large (ideal for a medium hoursehold or to split amongst 3-4 people).

The mix for fall will include things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, winter squash, some tomatoes and corn in the early part of the fall, and then things like broccoli and kale and cooking & salad greens, apples and onions!

Registration for the Fall Only Share will begin in the summer.

Community Supported Agriculture is a great opportunity to eat seasonally and try different foods. You will receive the best of what a New England harvest has to offer, and experience the fun of letting the season form your menu.

Most importantly, a CSA program establishes a relationship between a farm and the local community. In Japan, the name for CSA is teikei(提携), meaning, in a sense, to put the farmer's face on the food. We believe food tastes better when you know the people who grew it, and we put great pride into growing delicious and healthy food to feed our community.

Check out the wikipedia entry on CSAs for a good overview of the general practices and philosophy of a CSA farm, and what it means to be a part of one. Click here to learn more about our CSA

You will be prompted to answer a few questions about the type of membership you would like, and your answers will be sent to us right away and we will send you a confirmation email right away.

As a 10th generation family farm, we understand the importance of growing practices that nourish the soil and that promote the health and biodiversity of the land we farm and the surrounding area. We have been feeding our community the freshest, healthiest, and purest produce since 1720 and we have protected that legacy by preserving our 70 acres through the Massachusetts Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program.

We implement a variety of sustainable growing practices on our farm, ranging from USDA Certified Organic methods to Integrated Pest Management systems. We have 17 acres in Certified Organic production as well as several additional fields currently in the three-year transition period to become certified. In order to promote our soil's fertility, we implement crop rotations and a zone tillage program that alleviates weed pressure, keeps nutrients in the soil, prevents soil erosion, improves field drainage, and reduces our use of fossil fuels on the farm.

In our non-organic fields we use a preventative approach to weeds, pests, and diseases with a carefully planned IPM program. This includes implementing well-planned crop rotations, protecting and releasing beneficial insects, weekly scouting for pest and disease threats, and application of the safest pesticides when crop failure becomes a threat.

Michael Pollan: Sustainability expert, prolific author, and New York Times contributor. For the past twenty-five years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in the built environment. He is the author of four New York Times bestsellers and was named to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. In 2009 he was named by Newsweek as one of the top 10 “New Thought Leaders."

From MichaelPollan.com: In this groundbreaking book, one of America’s most fascinating, original, and elegant writers turns his own omnivorous mind to the seemingly straightforward question of what we should have for dinner. To find out, Pollan follows each of the food chains that sustain us—industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves—from the source to a final meal, and in the process develops a definitive account of the American way of eating. His absorbing narrative takes us from Iowa cornfields to food-science laboratories, from feedlots and fast-food restaurants to organic farms and hunting grounds, always emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on. Each time Pollan sits down to a meal, he deploys his unique blend of personal and investigative journalism to trace the origins of everything consumed, revealing what we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods and flavors reflects our evolutionary inheritance.

From MichaelPollan.com: In Defense of Food shows us how, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, we can escape the Western diet and, by doing so, most of the chronic diseases that diet causes. We can relearn which foods are healthy, develop simple ways to moderate our appetites, and return eating to its proper context — out of the car and back to the table. Michael Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.

Barbara Kingsolver:

Reviewed by Nina Planck: Michael Pollan is the crack investigator and graceful narrator of the ecology of local food and the toxic logic of industrial agriculture. Now he has a peer. Novelist Kingsolver recounts a year spent eating home-grown food and, if not that, local. Accomplished gardeners, the Kingsolver clan grow a large garden in southern Appalachia and spend summers "putting food by," as the classic kitchen title goes. They make pickles, chutney and mozzarella; they jar tomatoes, braid garlic and stuff turkey sausage. Nine-year-old Lily runs a heritage poultry business, selling eggs and meat. What they don't raise (lamb, beef, apples) comes from local farms. Come winter, they feast on root crops and canned goods, menus slouching toward asparagus. Along the way, the Kingsolver family, having given up industrial meat years before, abandons its vegetarian ways and discovers the pleasures of conscientious carnivory.This field—local food and sustainable agriculture—is crowded with books in increasingly predictable flavors: the earnest manual, diary of an epicure, the environmental battle cry, the accidental gardener. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is all of these, and much smarter. The narrative is peppered with useful sidebars on industrial agriculture and ecology (by husband Steven Hopp) and recipes (by daughter Camille), as if to show that local food—in the growing, buying, cooking, eating and the telling—demands teamwork.

Jane Goodall: A legendary spirit of hope and pioneer in the humane treatment of animals.

World-renowned scientist and conservationist Jane Goodall earned her fame by studying chimpanzee feeding habits. But in Harvest for Hope, she scrutinizes human eating behaviors, and the colossal food industries that force-feed some cultures' self-destructive habits for mass consumption. It's an unsustainable lifestyle that Goodall argues must change immediately, beginning--not ironically--at a grassroots level. Looping personal anecdotes from 40 years of global travels with stories from noble farmer Davids and corporate Goliaths, Goodall methodically builds her case for shopping organic and living modestly. Mustering a tender gumption, she details the vicious cycle of pesticide-ridden and genetically engineered crops which feed the unknowing majority of consumers; and also feed the antibiotic-treated animals that provide these folks with inexpensive entrees. Leaving nasty slaughterhouse scenes to less tactful pens, Goodall focuses more on the product of "factory farming" techniques: mountains of waste, nutritionally depleted soil, polluted water, displaced organic farmers, and severely compromised food.

MOVIES:

Food, Inc.

Academy Award Nominee, Best Documentary Feature.

Watch the Trailer:

King Corn

King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, nitrogen fertilizers, and powerful herbicides, the plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat - and how we farm.

The Greenhorns

The Greenhorns documentary film, now in post-production, explores the lives of America's young farming community - its spirit, practices, and needs. It is the filmmaker's hope that by broadcasting the stories and voices of these young farmers, we can build the case for those considering a career in agriculture - to embolden them, to entice them, and to recruit them into farming.

LINKS:

CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture)

A non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining agriculture in western Massachusetts by promoting environmental sustainability and farm profitability.

Farm Aid

Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land.

The Greenhorns

The Greenhorns is a grassroots non-profit organization made up of young farmers and many collaborators. Their mission is to recruit, promote and support the new generation of young farmers in this ample and able 21st century America.

Homegrown.org

A gathering place for folks who celebrate the “culture” in agriculture and share skills like growing, cooking and food preservation.

Sustainable Table

Sustainable Table celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food.

Slow Food USA

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Supercook

A recipe database that allows you to search based on the ingredients you have on hand

101 Cookbooks

Recipe blog of natural food cookbook author Heidi Swanson. Search recipes by season.

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)

World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms) (WWOOF) is a loose network of national organisations which facilitate the placement of volunteers on organic farms. WWOOFing aims to provide volunteers with first-hand experience in organic and ecologically sound growing methods to help the organic movement, and to let volunteers experience life in a rural setting or a different country.

The following cookbooks will help you create delicious, healthy meals from local, seasonal produce. Many of our favorite cookbooks happen to vegetarian simply because they have the best recipes for the produce we grow!:

Mark Bittman: One of the most influential food writers of our time, Mark Bittman is on a quest to change the way America eats. He writes for the New York Times (The Minimalist and Bitten) and has created several award winning cookbooks. Bittman is an unwavering omnivore, but his cookbooks plead for an American diet that is centered less on meat and animal products and more on fresh produce. 

From Publisher's Weekly: Bittman, New York Times columnist and bestselling author (How to Cook Everything) provides a rational approach to eating that not only improves health but also helps the environment. Extolling the benefits of a plant-heavy diet, Bittman offers more than 500 healthful recipes that feature unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains and reduce all types of meat to backup players. In addition, he shares five basic principles for sane eating that are easy to implement and understand as well as an unusually helpful pantry section and handy charts for substituting produce and seafood by season. Recipes focus on flavor, such as lemony zucchini risotto, which uses brown rice, and curried chickpeas and cauliflower with chicken. His chapter on beans offers a particularly varied selection, like a lentil stir-fry with mushrooms and caramelized onions, white beans and shrimp burgers, and beer-glazed black beans with chorizo and orange. Bittman also provides a resourceful index of dishes that can be made quickly as well as meals that can be made ahead of time. Practical and balanced, this collection will shape the way we cook at home for years to come.

  From Publisher's Weekly: Marking how mainstream vegetarian cooking has become, the next must-have for the vegetarian cook's shelf comes from New York Times Minimalist chef Bittman, an avowed meat eater. And that ensures one of this massive compendium's many attractions: a wealth of recipes that don't scream vegetarian and plentiful guidelines to make cooking vegetarian as intuitive as cooking with meat. Like his now classic How to Cook Everything, this book opens with terrifically useful, straightforward discussions of essential ingredients, appliances and techniques, which Bittman builds on throughout in to-the-point sidebars and illustrated boxes. The recipes flow thick and fast in his theme-and-variations style: Green Tea with Udon Noodles is followed by concise instructions for making it 17 different ways, while Coconut Rice gets five additional takes and Kidney Beans with Apples and Sherry four; other lists (six Great Spreads for Bruschetta or Crostini, 10 Garnishes for Pozole with Mole) abound and inspire. New vegetarians and vegetarians cooking for omnivores will appreciate Bittman's avoidance of faux meat products in favor of flavorful high-protein dishes like Braised Tofu in Caramel Sauce and Bechamel Burgers with Nuts. Even owners of the original book will find much new to savor while benefiting from Bittman's remarkable ability to teach foundational skills and encourage innovation with them, which will help even longtime vegetarians freshen their repertory.

Description: Everyone knows that whole foods are much healthier than refined ingredients, but few know how to cook with them in uncomplicated, delicious ways. Using a palette of natural ingredients now widely available in supermarkets, SUPER NATURAL COOKING offers globally inspired, nutritionally packed cuisine that is both gratifying and flavorful. With her weeknight-friendly dishes, real-foodie Heidi Swanson teaches home cooks how to become confident in a whole-foods kitchen by experimenting with alternative flours, fats, grains, sweeteners, and more. Including innovative twists on familiar dishes from polenta to chocolate chip cookies, SUPER NATURAL COOKING is the new wholesome way to eat, using real-world ingredients to get out-of-this-world results.

Description: In Super Natural Every Day, Heidi helps us make nutritionally packed meals part of our daily repertoire by sharing a sumptuous collection of nearly 100 of her go-to recipes. These are the dishes that Heidi returns to again and again because they’re approachable, good for the body, and just plain delicious. This stylish cookbook is equal parts inspiration and instruction, showing us how to create a welcoming table filled with nourishing food for friends and family.
The seductively flavorful vegetarian recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, treats, and drinks are quick to the table but tasty enough to linger over. Grab a Millet Muffin or some flaky Yogurt Biscuits for breakfast on the go, or settle into a lazy Sunday morning with a stack of Multi-grain Pancakes and a steaming cup of Ginger Tea. A bowl of Summer Squash Soup or a couple of Chanterelle Tacos make for a light and healthy lunch, and for dinner, there’s Black Sesame Otsu, Pomegranate-Glazed Eggplant with Tempeh, or the aptly named Weeknight Curry. Heidi’s Rose Geranium Prosecco is the perfect start to a celebratory meal, and the Buttermilk Cake with fresh plums or Sweet Panzanella will satisfy even the most stubborn sweet tooth.
Gorgeously illustrated with over 100 photos that showcase the engaging rhythms of Heidi’s culinary life and travels, Super Natural Every Day reveals the beauty of uncomplicated food prepared well and reflects a realistic yet gourmet approach to a healthy and sophisticated natural foods lifestyle.

Deborah Madison: A cook, writer, and teacher whose specialty is creating seasonal recipes with fresh, local produce. Madison is passionate about farming and preserving heritage varieties of fruits and vegetables. 

About: The elegant simplicity and exquisite flavor of Deborah Madison's food make her one of America's leading cooks. In Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, she offers more than great food: her book includes comprehensive information about ingredients and techniques, plus more than 800 recipes. The recipes range from dishes as familiar as Guacamole to those as distinctive as Green Lentils with Roasted Beets and Preserved Lemons, and Cashew Curry. The 124-page chapter titled "Vegetables: The Heart of the Matter" is a virtual book of culinary revelations; you could use it as a manual on buying and preparing vegetables. Madison provides equally inspired recipes and guidance for everything from grains and soy to dairy foods and desserts.

Good Grains:

There's more to life than Wonder Bread and white rice! Whole grains are a wondrous source of fiber and complex carbohydrates and are essential to a healthy diet. The following grains can be found in the bulk bin section of any Whole Foods or health food store:

Fast Cooking Grains (cooks in under 30 minutes):

Amaranth: Not a grain in the strictest sense, amaranth is actually the seeds of an herb indigenous to the Americas. The tiny seed packs a flavor punch that belies its miniature stature, and its lysine-rich, 16 percent protein profile makes it a nutritional darling to boot. Amaranth has a texture that pops in the mouth and a pronounced green spiciness that aligns it more closely in flavor to quinoa than to some of the other true grains, like wheat and oats. Many recipes can benefit from its addition, from biscuits and pancakes to tart crusts and granola bars.

Millet:: Millet is painfully underutilized. These perfect, delicately textured, butter-colored beads are as good for you as they are pretty. Easy to digest and sporting a fantastic heart-healthy magnesium content, millet is a great, quick-cooking starter grain. If you have the time for the extra step, the flavor of millet generally benefits from pre-toasting, easily done in a skillet. It brings forth a nutty flavor and tints the grains a wonderful spectrum of deep yellows and light browns. The light texture and mild flavor of millet pairs nicely with fresh alliums, such as chives, green onions, and spring garlic. Look for it in the bins at most natural food stores or try Whole Foods Markets.

Oats:The ultimate morning grain, oats are available in a few different forms. Whole oat berries (or groats) are equivalent in size to wheat berries, but they cook up to twice as fast and are naturally sweeter, lending themselves nicely to spicy, sweet, salty, and fruity preparations. Steel-cut oats are created by cutting the groat down into smaller pieces. Old-fashioned rolled oats are produced by steaming whole groats and rolling them to varying thicknesses. Instant oats are simply the thinnest or most finely cut oats. All of these variations are considered whole foods.

Quinoa: Cooking quinoa is easier than trying to figure out how to pronounce it (KEEN-wah). This small, quick-cooking grain bullied me into first purchasing it years ago with a nutritional profile I couldn’t ignore. High in easy-to-digest fiber and tops in protein, it has an encyclopedic vitamin and mineral profile and is positively brimming with properties thought to promote cardiovascular health, stave of certain cancers, tame headaches and migraines, provide antioxidant protection, and on and on. This is the grain credited with keeping Incan armies strong and resilient. Because the protein in quinoa is considered complete, it’s an ideal grain for vegetarians concerned about getting enough protein. It includes all of the essential amino acids and is a rich source of the amino acid lysine, which promotes tissue growth and repair and supports the immune system. While I initially purchased this grain for its nutritional perks, I kept buying it for its grassy taste and fluffed-up, creamy-while-crunchy texture. It grows in a spectrum of reds, browns, and pinks, but shades of ivory or deep red predominate in U.S. markets. Use quinoa in salads and stuffings or to add texture to quick breads and cookies. Always rinse it before using to remove the bitter saponin coating (which the plant produces to deter birds and insects). Technically not a true grain, it is related botanically to Swiss chard and beets, but it is grainlike in spirit when it comes to cooking.

Teff:One of the mightiest of the mini grains, teff (also spelled tef or t’ef) is the staple grain of Ethiopia. Because it’s rich in iron, it’s credited with establishing Ethiopians as the best long-distance runners in the world. How can such a small grain pack such a punch? There’s only room for the nutrient-rich bran and germ and not much else. I use teff in tart crusts and pie crusts, in place of cornmeal in polenta, and in a range of baked breads, cakes, and muffins. It is a very dignified-looking grain available in a deep, rich, reddish brown chestnut color or a classic ivory tone. For added depth of flavor when using teff, toast the raw grains for a few minutes in a dry pan—just until fragrant. 

Slow Cooking Grains (worth the wait!):

Barley: I often use barley as the foundation for my risotto recipes. Whole barley takes a long time to cook, so I search out barley that has had its nutrient-rich bran coating only lightly pearled off. Pearling simply buffs off a variable amount of the outer bran coating, but certainly not as much as a fully refined grain, let’s call it semi-whole. Choose bigger grains over smaller ones that have been pearled down too far. If you have the time hulled barley (considered whole) can be used, but this will increase your cooking time significantly. Barley thickens up stews beautifully and absorbs surrounding flavors nicely.

Farro: Trendy, health-conscious chefs have helped make the ancient grain farro quite popular over the past few years. It was one of the first domesticated grains in Mesopotamia before other cereal grains took over as preferred grain crops. Farro has been enjoying a resurgence in interest not only because of its nutritional profile, but also because it is hearty and deeply satisfying and pairs nicely with a fantastic range of seasonal ingredients year-round. Like barley, farro can be used as an alternative grain for risotto-type dishes, and is often found slightly pearled. When shopping, look for Triticum dicoccum, farro’s Latin name. If you can’t find farro for a recipe, substitute barley and cook until tender—typically taking less time than farro.

Wheat berries: This might strike some of you as obvious, but when you grind up a wheat berry, you get flour. Hard red winter wheat berries end up as higher-protein bread flours, while lower-protein soft wheat berries are ground into pastry or cake flours. Because they contain the bran and germ, all wheat berries are nutritionally intact. I typically opt for soft wheat berries at the market because they cook up into plump, chewy grains that are well suited for salads, soups, or simply seasoned on their own. Wheat berries are notorious for marathon cooking times, so if you want to save some time, soak the berries in water for a few hours or overnight prior to cooking. Cracked wheat is simply the result of cracking the wheat berries between rollers. Cracked wheat is still nutritionally intact and much quicker to cook, but completely different in terms of how you might use it. If you’ve had a side dish of tabouli, you’ve had cracked wheat, and you’ll be able to all of its other potential applications: as a rice substitute, instead of oatmeal in the morning, or to add texture and flavor to baked goods.

Wild rice: You’ve heard it before: wild rice isn’t actually rice; it’s an annual aquatic grass, and an underutilized one at that. Its distinctive nutty flavor, hearty texture, and captivating earthy colors should make it a prime candidate for frequent use beyond holiday stuffing recipes and the occasional cranberry-flecked side dish. Its nutritional benefits are legendary and a broad spectrum of wild rice is available, coming not only from its native upper Great Lakes region but from California, Washington, and Idaho as well. There are both hand-harvested and cultivated wild rices. Connoisseurs will be quick to tell you that wild rice hand-harvested from a canoe is like a fine wine. Hand-cultivated wild rice is the crème de la crème, but it isn’t within everyone’s budget. It can be surprisingly light in color and often takes much less time to cook than its cultivated cousin, the much darker, glossy, brownish black wild rice you are likely familiar with. It’s also more likely that hand-harvested wild rice hasn’t been raised with harsh agrochemicals. That being said, I’ve had delicious cultivated wild rice too; much depends on the influence of the environment in which the rice is grown (think terroir), how the rice is harvested, and how it is processed. Whether you are buying hand-harvested or cultivated wild rice, price and quality varies greatly. It is certainly worth the effort to find a good source. As with most grains, cooking time can vary greatly depending on the type of wild rice you buy, when it was harvested, and how much moisture is left in each rice grain by the time you bring it home. If you want to get even more earthy, nutty flavor out of your wild rice, it just takes a bit of extra time and tenacity. After cooking the rice, drain it and toss with a bit of clarified butter. In a wide, shallow baking dish (or on a rimmed baking sheet) pop it in a 375F degree oven until fragrant. This brings out a whole new dimension of flavor from the grains and is worth the effort if you are showcasing the rice in a salad or for simple preparations. I don’t typically make that extra effort if I’m using the wild rice in a soup or for textural backdrop. 

Powerful Proteins:

Whether you follow a vegetarian or omnivorous diet, these pantry staples are essential to a balanced diet.

Dried Beans: Each bean has a unique flavor profile, appearance, and texture. Some beans are thin-skinned and prone to rupturing when heated to anything more than a delicate simmer. Others are sturdy and stay intact, even in the proximity of a cook with a hot-tempered stove and a less-than-watchful eye. Some dried beans start their journey to the table bold and showy, with colorful markings and beguiling patterns, while others are simple and nondescript. Sadly, their markings and colors often fade into faint whispers of their former vibrancy as they rehydrate and plump up in a pot of bubbling water.

Nutritionally, beans are a powerhouse of soluble fiber, iron, and protein. Seek out beans that have been harvested and dried within the past year or so. Dried beans that have been sitting around for years take longer to cook, are more difficult to rehydrate, and are generally more difficult to work with and prepare. They may also be less nutritious. And be sure to look for heirloom varieties. Store beans in a dark cupboard where they will retain their brightness and vitality; some of their nutrients deteriorate quickly when exposed to light. 

Eggs: I buy the best eggs I can find, and use them a thousand different ways. The difference between cheap,industrially farmed eggs and the kind I pick up at my farmers market is remarkable and if you eat eggs I encourage you to seek out farm fresh eggs that are produced by chickens that are treated well. 

Lentils: The big upside to cooking with lentils is that they are substantial, filling, highly nutritious, and relatively quick to cook. They are great cooked into stews, mashed into spreads, molded into croquettes of all sizes, and mixed into grain-based salads. Plus, unlike most dried beans, they require no presoaking. Some varieties of lentils hold their shape, while others have a tendency to turn quickly to mush. I’ve found that the peppery green Le Puy lentils, from France, hold their shape nicely, as do the sexy black beluga lentils. I’m often tempted by the vibrant hues of the red and yellow varieties, but because they lose structure so quickly they are best in pureed soups or more traditional Indian preparations, such as dal. Don’t let their diminutive stature fool you; lentils have one of the richest protein profiles of any vegetable, backed up with supersized levels of iron, fiber, and folate.

Nuts & Seeds: Nuts and seeds are high in fat, but in contrast to many of the processed fats that work their way into our diets these are natural, straight-from-the-source fats with their healthful properties intact. Start by considering a whole nut, and then imagine all the directions you can go from there. Toast that nut and the flavor becomes more pronounced. Chop it and you have a crunchy, textural element to play with. Mill it into a flourlike meal and you have an ingredient that can be used to add flavor and moisture to baked goods or to deliciously thicken a pureed soup. Grind it and you have a spread or butter. Or blend it with water to make a nut milk. Start thinking about seeds similarly. They are wonderfully diverse and span a broad range of colors, shapes, flavors, textures, and origins.

Because of their naturally high fat content, nuts and seeds can quickly go rancid. For this reason, commercial walnuts are often treated with powerful chemicals to extend shelf life. Seek out good sources with fresh stock, and store them refrigerated. Nuts that are sold sliced or chopped are much more likely to be rancid upon purchase than whole nuts, and your best bet is nuts still in shell. The shells, or even the skin as on an almond or hazelnut, adds a layer of protection from light and heat, which can cause rancidity. Because of their high fat content, it’s especially important to buy organic nuts and seeds. Or buy them at a farmers’ market, where you can ask the grower about their methods.

Sprouts: Sprouting grains, legumes, and seeds boosts their already commendable nutritional profiles. There is a lot of power and aspiration in that little sprout. Sprouts are also easier for the body to digest, so if you have had trouble with certain beans, try eating them sprouted. While growing your own sprouts is certainly an option, a wide variety of sprouts are increasingly available at farmers’ markets and in produce departments. Look for bright, fresh-looking sprouts and give them a sniff to make sure there’s nothing funky going on.

Yogurt: Look for fresh organic yogurt rich in live active cultures, or if you are more ambitious, try making your own. The live cultures in yogurt help maintain an optimum balance of microorganisms in the digestive tract. This supports healthy digestion, strengthens the immune system, and provides a host of other benefits. Yogurt isn’t just for breakfast or a quick snack; it has limitless culinary possibilities. If you wrap it in cheesecloth and let it drain, you’ll end up with creamy, delicious yogurt cheese, to which you can add herbs, spices, or citrus zest for a savory spread or berries and honey if you’re after something sweeter. 

Sinless Sweeteners:

If you think sweetness can only be achieved by that ubiquitous bag of bleached crystals...think again! The following sweetners offer healthier and more natural ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Agave nectar: Lighter, cleaner, and less cloyingly sweet than honey, but with a similar appearance, agave nectar is a fantastic mild-tasting sweetener that is gaining widespread popularity. It is renowned for having a low glycemic index, which is of particular importance to diabetics and anyone who has problems with blood sugar regulation. Look for 100 percent pure agave nectar. The darker amber variety retains more of the plant’s natural nutrients. 

Blackstrap molasses is a full-bodied sweetener that runs thick and black as tar. It is made from successive boilings of sugarcane, and because many of the minerals and nutrients are preserved throughout the process, it is rich in potassium and a good source of calcium, vitamin B6, and iron. Like maple syrup, molasses is sold in grades having to do with whether it is from the first, second, third, or fourth boiling of the sugarcane, blackstrap coming from the last. Again because this sweetener is a concentrate, buying organic is important. 

Brown rice syrup is beautiful syrup is a thick, slow-moving, silky slug of butterscotch-colored goodness made by cooking sprouted brown rice in water that is then evaporated. What remains is luminescent, not-too-sweet syrup that retains some of its antioxidant properties. Look for organic or sustainably produced brands. 

Date sugar is made by reducing dried zahidi dates to a cooked paste, dehydrating the paste, and then breaking it into granules. I use it more as a seasoning-type sweetener, to shape the flavor of a recipe than as a foundation and volume-building sweetener, in part because it is quite expensive and temperamental (it burns at a lower temperature than white sugar.

Natural cane sugars: There is a spectrum of natural cane sugars available, the big hurdle is figuring out which ones to buy. There is no standardization when it comes to labeling and not all naturally-labeled cane sugars are of equal quality or integrity. At one end of the spectrum are products like Sucanat (pure dehydrated sugarcane juice) and Rapadura, which are the least processed. The trade-off is that they are dry, irregular, and a bit dusty
in texture.

Beyond that there are the rich, delicious “raw” cane sugars like Muscovado or Barbados, Demerara, and Turbinado which unlike commercial brown sugars get their natural brown color from the local sugar cane juice. You then move on to a range of cane sugars that have gone through varying stages of processing until you come out the other end with a nearly white sugar—something like Florida Crystals or the organic cane sugar sold through Trader Joe’s.

I generally look for cane sugars that are moist and similar in appearance to brown sugar with a fine grain echoing the size of standard white sugar grains. More often than not they’ll have some combination of the following words on the packaging: natural, raw, unrefined, whole, and/or unbleached. I’m happy to report that there’s a growing variety of cane sugars on the market now, and some are organically produced and fair trade certified.

Honey:One of the things I love about honey is that is has terroir—flavor that reflects the blossoming flowers of the specific region in which it was produced. Some honeys are thick, dark, and brooding; others are light in color and bright on the tongue. Navigating your way through the vast landscape of honey varietals involves a lifetime of tasting. A honey appropriate for pairing with an artisan cheese might be very different than a honey for baking with, so taste different types, take notes, and try different pairings. Look for raw, unfiltered, unprocessed honey and be aware that darker honeys contain higher levels of antioxidants. Farmers’ markets are typically a great place to find honey producers who can talk you through the nuances of the different varietals. 

Maple sugar, a dusty-textured, buff-colored sweetener, is made by evaporating the water out of maple syrup. It is on the pricey side, but has a lovely, deep, round maple flavor that helps you forget about the hole it leaves in your wallet. This is another sweetener I tend to use as an accent, sprinkled over yogurt, dusted on top of crepes, and sprinkled over scone, cookies, and muffins as they come out of a hot oven. 

Maple syrup: The maple syrup market is a minefield of artificially maple-flavored syrups with little to no maple content, so be sure to read labels. Pure maple syrup is rich in important minerals like zinc and manganese and comes from boiling down the sap of maple trees. Available in various grades depending on when the sap was harvested from the tree, syrup produced from tapping early in the season yields a lighter, finer syrup designated grade A. I actually prefer grade B, which comes from sap harvested later in the season; it’s thicker and more luxurious in flavor and color. Buy pure 100 percent organic maple syrup.

Fats & Oils:

Butter: Cultured organic butter tastes unlike anything else, it melts on the back of your tongue and its nutty milky flavor dances up into your nose, comforting all your senses. This is one of the best fats for baking. As with any dairy products you buy, make sure it comes from producers using sustainable, organic practices. Butter, yogurt, and milk should be free of artificial hormones and extraneous antibiotics, and the livestock should be raised in humane conditions. These products are better for you, better for the planet, and better for the animals. Two other butter-based options, clarified butter and ghee, are made by removing milk solids and water from the butter over heat. The main difference between the two is that when preparing ghee, you leave the milk solids in to toast a bit before pouring off the clarified butter; this lends a distinctive rich, nutty flavor to recipes - it also allows for higher cooking temperatures.

Coconut oil is a luxurious naturally saturated fat that's solid at room temperature. The smell of pure, unrefined coconut oil is tropical, rich, and enveloping. Many people stay away from coconut oil due to all the bad press it got over the years for being high in saturated fat, but fragrant, unrefined, natural, virgin coconut oil fits all of the criteria I look for in a good ingredient (see opening paragraphs). Many island cultures with diets rich in coconut oil (and unprocessed foods in general), saw very few cases of "western" diseases before processed foods washed up on their shores. For vegans, or people looking to use less butter, coconut oil is often a fantastic butter substitute and one of the only unrefined vegetarian fats that isn't compromised at higher temperatures. When substituting coconut oil for butter, start by using 25 percent less coconut oil, as it is more concentrated than butter, having a lower water content.

Olive oil: If you live in region where olives are grown, you may be lucky enough to find fresh, local extra-virgin olive oil at your local farmers' market. Look for small producers who cold-press their olives. The oil can ranging from golden and buttery to grassy and green, so be sure to sample the range of flavors available. Use olive oil as soon as possible or purchase smaller bottles to start with; unlike wine, you don't want to age your olive oil. Use your best, most fragrant and flavorful extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling and seasoning recipes, not for cooking. I keep a separate bottle on hand for cooking, typically a milder-flavored extra-virgin oil, and use this for most applications that require heating the oil. Because olive oil is rich in omega-9 fatty acids, it can tolerate moderate heat. It is fine for sautéing over medium to medium-high heat, or you can pair it with a bit of water for a steam-sauté.

Sesame oil: People have long valued this oil for its distinctive flavor and rich nutritional profile. This popular oil is typically available in two varieties: plain and toasted. I use plain sesame oil to cook with when clarified butter or olive oil aren't a fit. Toasted sesame oil plays a pivotal role in many Asian recipes, and it has a special place in my kitchen as well. It sends out an immediately recognizable nutty, sultry aroma and is perfect as a seasoning on anything from noodle bowls to salads.

Other Staples:

Miso:There are many uses for miso beyond the traditional soup you’re probably familiar with. This healthful, fermented soybean paste can be used as a seasoning, as a rich base for a stock, and in sauces, dressings, and marinades. Look for unpasteurized, naturally fermented miso in the refrigerator section of natural foods stares and start exploring the wide range available. The lighter, creamy-colored misos are more delicate in flavor than the darker, brown versions.

Sea Vegetables: A rich palette of sea vegetables awaits your discovery. They range in flavor from mild to strong and can be used to infuse a tempered saltiness and a spectrum of hard-to-get trace minerals into many recipes. They typically contain up to twenty times the minerals of land-grown vegetables. Sea vegetables are primarily available in dried form, which can be used as is in soups and broths. Rehydrated, they can be added to endless dishes; just soak until tender, which only takes about 5 minutes. Some types expand quite dramatically in liquid, so use a light hand until you get a feel for how much expansion to expect with each. Toasted and crumbled, they can be used as a seasoning. If you aren’t used to eating sea vegetables, start with milder types, such as arame, nori, and wakame, and work your way up to hijiki, which is much stronger and actually a bit overpowering for my tastes.I believe it is Wakame that is the variety you often find in the bottom of your miso soup, and kombu is a natural flavor enhancer that can be used as an alternative to MSG. For a real treat, keep your eyes peeled for fresh sea beans, or samphire. Though not technically a sea vegetable, it grows in salt marshes and coastal estuaries and along rocky ocean shorelines, so in my book it qualifies. Their quirky shape, vibrant color, and surprise saltiness make them delightful to bite into raw. They are also wonderful sautéed for just a minute or two in just a touch of good-quality olive oil.

Agar is a sea vegetable that you’re probably already eating without knowing it. An effective thickener that can be used in place of gelatin, it often makes an appearance in yogurt. Unlike gelatin and other thickeners, agar will set up at room temperature, making it more versatile. I go into this ingredient in more depth in Super Natural Cooking, I use it in a gelatin-free panna cotta.

Soy Sauce:One of the building blocks of Asian cuisine, soy sauce is a salty sweet condiment adds rich, complex depth to almost any food. The key is buying naturally fermented soy sauce made from whole ingredients using traditional methods. Chemically processed, fast-tracked soy sauce, often produced in a single day, is a harsh-tasting distant relative to the real thing. I prefer all-natural, organic, unpasteurized shoyu, which is available in most natural foods stores.

Tea: Up until recently, green tea has received the lion’s share of accolades on the health front, primarily because it was the tea studied most extensively, but all teas are brimming with beneficial antioxidants, so enjoy exploring the spectrum. There are many ways to enjoy tea beyond just drinking it. For example, I often grind up tea leaves with a mortar and pestle and use them as a seasoning, opening up a whole new world of flavors. Rehydrated and chopped, you can use tea leaves in stir-fries, omelets, stuffings, and anything else you can dream up. Start with judicious amounts and build from there. Use too much and the tea’s flavor can easily overpower other ingredients.

Vinegar:The word vinegar stems from the French for “sour wine”— vin aigre. Unfortunately, much of the vinegar you encounter on supermarket shelves is a speed-aged imposter of their naturally fermented cousins . Look for naturally fermented vinegars that are unpasteurized, unfiltered, and traditionally crafted. You want vinegar with a taste reminiscent of the source it came from and anything that can be made into alcohol can conceivable be turned into vinegar. Good choices include apple cider vinegar made from fermented fresh-pressed apple juice and wine vinegar aged traditionally.

20 weeks of fresh, local, sustainably grown produce from our farm, to your table!

Sign-ups will be open until we meet capacity, so don't delay. This year is promising to be our BEST CSA SEASON YET! We have greatly expanded our market garden and will be growing new and exciting vegetables in addition to the staples you know and love. You can look forward to tasting over 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as purple and red carrots, striped beets, multi-colored baby potatoes, thai basil, and two types of gourmet salad mix.

You can also expect:

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, melons, sweet corn, carrots, asparagus, onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, fennel, potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, salad greens, spinach, a variety of herbs, kale, chard, cabbage, cucumbers, peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, summer and winter squash, celeriac, turnips, radishes, beets, and more!

-By purchasing a share at Warner Farm you are directly supporting the growing movement to endorse sustainable farming practices and healthy eating.

-The more members we have, the more exciting our CSA is!

-We want to hear from you on what kinds of food you want us to grow, and also what else you would like to source locally.

- Warner Farm has been a reliable source of fresh, local produce since the 18th century when the farm was started. Our wide diversity of crops and varieties assures that you will always receive the best tasting fruits and vegetables!

-We are constantly evaluating our growing practices, and we are employing largely organic methods to supply our CSA and Farmers Markets. We practice reduced-tillage, zone-tillage, Integrated Pest Management, and some Certified Organic produce help to offset the environmentally detrimental effects of industrial food production, and help keep carbon in the soil and all the best nutrients and flavor in your food!

-Our CSA is managed by a young, enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff. We provide stable jobs for local people during the growing months and off-season, and invest in other local businesses.

- We are passionate about delivering you the highest quality, best value produce we can while eliminating costly links in the traditional distribution of food.

- We are part of the wider Pioneer Valley agricultural community, which provides a bounty of a wide range of crops every year to the state and region, assuring that you will always receive a fresh variety of items each week.