Springdell's CSA

Our family farm lies on one of the oldest agricultural lands in the area, known to many as Scratch Flat. The land has been farmed since 1781 and has been continuously operated by the Theodoros Family since 1931. We grow quality fruits and vegetables, carefully monitoring the crops using Integrated Pest Management as well as a natural approach. Each week, a crop inspector comes out to carefully inspect the fields for insects and soil born diseases. We respect our land and treat it with the utmost care. Synthetic fertilizers are never used, only well composted manure from our own livestock. If you have ever shopped our farm stand or been a part of our CSA in the past we are sure that you have witnessed all of our hard work!

Our operation has a lot of deep, local roots. We operate Gibbet Hill Cattle Company in Groton, MA where we produce our pasture raised Black Angus beef. We also have our own pasture raised sheep, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and of course all of our misfits and rescued animals here at our home farm. We supply our meat to a number of local schools, farm stands, farmer’s markets, and local Restaurants. 2011 will be our third year operating the CSA and we have to admit that it is one of the best parts about growing good food!

Harvest Shares:
We’re offering three sizes of shares this year!

This year we have added a Single Harvest Share. These shareholders receive all the variety of the larger shares but on a smaller scale to better meet their needs.

The Small Harvest Share is intended for a family with up to two young children. This share is not intended to be split amongst two people or two families. In this share, you will receive fruit, eggs, vegetables, greens, and herbs on a scale that should supply your family well for a week. 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.

The Full Harvest Share is suitable for a larger family with teenagers, in-laws, etc. In this share you receive double some of the most popular items such as fruit, eggs, corn, tomatoes, etc. This size share is the most popular but is also a very big commitment. We have found that small families make good use this share if they cook a lot of their meals at home but that it is too much for folks that tend to eat out a lot. This share is a suitable size to split!

You will notice that we have a New Member Fee. This is a one-time charge for new members to our CSA. This fee is used for items that will be re-used each week for your share such as the delivery flat and packaging to keep your fruits and vegetables as safe as possible during transport home. You will need to return this packaging, with the flat on a weekly basis so that we can package your share for the following week. If you forget your packaging one week, we will ask you to offload your fruits and veggies from a flat into paper bags. We look forward to working with you to reduce the amount of packaging necessary to get your harvest share home safely and to allow us to have your share ready for pickup when you arrive.

What to Expect:
Our growing season kicks off around the first week of June. These early shares usually consist of things such as hoop-house tomatoes, fresh greens, herbs and our fantastic strawberries! Every week, from early June through the end of October, there is something new coming into season and making its way into the farm shares. Our shares also include our Free-Range Eggs from our Happy Hens every week! The season usually finishes up with assorted winter squash, potatoes, greens and apples. With good luck, our CSA will run approximately 20 to 22 weeks.

Local Growers:
Over the years, we have developed trusting relationships with local growers to offer our customers a wider variety of produce. We deal with local orchards to include fresh picked tree fruit in the weekly pick-up from time-to-time. This includes peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apples. These growers use the same growing practices as our farm and produce some of the finest tree fruit in the area.

We are a Diversified Family Farm:
Because we maintain a wholesale operation, you may find items in your CSA share that we don’t have at our Farm Stand and vice versa. Our operation is very unique; you’re picking up your share right at our farm stand, so if you are having company over or are interested in getting extra eggs or our Pasture Raised Meat products…you are always welcome to swing into our Farm Stand and get any extras that you may need!

We take great pride in treating our workers, our livestock, and our environment with great respect and we are looking forward to you and your family sharing it with us as well.

courtesy of Jim's Photos - Photosbyjim2.verizon.net

If you have questions regarding our CSA please contact Jamie Cruz at 978-486-3865 or email: info@springdellfarms.com