• The Food Group
  • Fare For All
  • Big River Farms
The Food Group
  • Join our CSA!
  • About Us
    • Staff
    • History
    • The Farm
    • Meet the Farmers
    • News
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • Farmer Education
    • About
    • Sign Up
    • Class Schedule
  • Buy Our Produce
    • CSA
      • Vegetable Shares
      • Fruit Shares
    • Farmers Markets
    • Wholesale
  • Emerging Farmers Conference
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Events
    • Farm Tours
    • Youth Education
  • Donate
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Job Opportunities

Support New Farmers while Eating Great Food

December 29, 2020 by Emily White

Become a Big River Farms CSA Member Today!

J2CK Farm Farmers Choua and Xiou with their family are some of the farmers who grow for Big River Farms CSA

While it may be cold and snowy outside, Big River Farms (BRF) is already deep in the planning stages of our 2021 community supported agriculture (CSA) program. BRF farmers are currently placing seed orders, CSA produce contracts are being developed and finalized with our farmers, and membership sign-ups have already begun.

At BRF’s 150-acre certified organic incubator farm in Marine on St. Croix, we provide beginning farmers access to educational resources, land, infrastructure, tools, markets, and connections to meet their business goals. The primary market opportunity BRF provides farmers is our aggregated CSA program. We source a variety of different veggies and herbs grown by multiple farmers into weekly shares, or boxes, for delivery to CSA members. This cooperative model enables BRF farmers to focus on growing what they’re passionate about instead of having to dive into more complex, labor intensive, diversified growing practices common with CSAs run by individual farmers.

Full Acre Vegetable Share includes a variety of 10-12 items, delivered weekly

Although the growing season is relatively short in our northern neck of the woods, CSA members are able to enjoy an abundance of fresh produce grown by farmers in BRF’s education program. In exchange for an upfront financial commitment, CSA members are granted access to 18 weeks of organic veggie shares from mid-June through mid-October. CSA membership dues are used to purchase produce directly from BRF farmers. A percentage of each share sold also funds BRF farmer resources, such as access to land, tools, and marketing support. BRF produce is certified organic and is grown following national standards set by the USDA. This guarantees CSA members that our farmers are using best practices for the health of themselves, the environment, and the folks who eat their produce.

FruitShare, based in Stillwater, MN sources certified organic fruit from small scale farmers across the country

We sell two different veggie share sizes — half and full — offering membership flexibility based on the number of people in your household. Full veggie shares contain roughly 10-12 different items per week and can feed 3-5 people, while half shares contain 5-7 items per week and are perfect for 1-2 people. These shares are fully customizable each week based on your personal veggie preferences and availability. We also offer two different types of organic fruit shares grown and sourced by local farm partners in nearby Wisconsin and Minnesota. Fruit shares can be purchased separately from veggie shares, or as an add-on option during sign-up.

Multiple payment options are available for interested CSA members, offering financial flexibility based on your needs. Options include full payment up front, partial payment up front followed by weekly payments with each delivery, and subsidized options for folks using SNAP-EBT thanks to our partnership with FairShare CSA Coalition.

Joining our CSA is one of the most meaningful ways you can support small, local farmers from a variety of diverse backgrounds. BRF’s land-based education program supports Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and New American (immigrant and refugee) farmers, populations that continue to face systemic barriers to accessing the resources needed to establish successful farm businesses.

Become a CSA Member Today!


This post was written by Big River Farms Market Specialist, Matt Frank.

For more information about Big River Farms CSA, contact Matt at [email protected] or 651-433-3676

Filed Under: Blog, News

Recent Posts

  • Support New Farmers while Eating Great Food
  • Farm to Family — a win-win during tough times
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Ann
  • Local Food is Essential
  • About our Name – Big River Farms

Get Involved

  • Donate
  • Buy Our Produce
  • Farmer Education
  • Emerging Farmers Conference
  • Events

About us

  • The Farm
  • The Farmers

Contact

14220 Ostlund Trl N Ste B, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047

651-433-3676

[email protected]


Big River Farms (formerly known as Mn Food Association) is a program of The Food Group, a local nonprofit focused on using nutritious food to strengthen community.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on upcoming events, new blog posts, and other exciting Food Group news!

Copyright © 2021 - Big River Farms | The Food Group