Tag: Whisper Hill Farm

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Culture Food & Drink

Take your pick

Holly Hammond (right) is selling her Whisper Hill Farm squash and other veggies at the IX farmers’ market on Saturdays through the end of November. Supplied photo.

By Chris Martin

With serious supply shortages and shipping delays slowing everything down, holiday cooking staples from bacon to flour to peppercorns and more have suddenly become hard to come by. But fear not—the humble squash is here to save the day. More than just funky fall porch decor, the squash is an often-overlooked veggie with many varieties that can be found locally in abundance in both summer and winter.

Scottsville’s Whisper Hill Farm cultivates a wide variety of vegetables, and is a great place to find different types of squash. Co-owner Holly Hammond grew up on an 80-acre “u-pick’’ vegetable farm in Arizona, before working at Waterpenny Farm in Sperryville. She started Whisper Hill in 2010, using USDA organic methods with a focus on sustainable practices.

“We grow so much squash in volume, we seek production that complements our crop rotation,” says Hammond. “We grow butternut, delicata, gray kabocha, orange kabocha, and spaghetti squash.”

Farmers start their squash seeds at the end of May and transplant them in June. “The insects are the worst,” says Hammond. Squash bugs and cucumber beetles are quick to fly down and multiply, and Hammond suggests would-be squash-growers use row cover, a breathable cloth that creates a greenhouse-like environment, even if it’s not pretty.

Whisper Hill covers its squash for about three weeks, and it’s a key to the plants’ ability to thrive. “Keeping the cover on really helps the plants get big, strong, and able to withstand bugs,” says Hammond. “Uncover the squash when it starts blooming because it needs to be pollinated to produce.”

The oldest documentation of squash stems can be traced back 10,000 years to Mexico. The word is attributed to the Narragansett Indian tribe, who tell a story about a crow bringing a gift of seeds in its beak. Indigenous Americans taught English settlers about the curing of squash, a longstanding practice that is optional and varies by farm.

“There’s certain squash that don’t need to be cured,” says Hammond, noting that delicata and acorn squash are good examples “because they’re not storage squash.”

Curing refers to storing hardy winter vegetables in ideal conditions, resulting in small amounts of dehydration, flavor concentration, and the formation of thicker skin.

“We’ll cure our sweet potatoes at 80 degrees and 30 percent humidity,” says Hammond, adding that she prefers them a little less cured. “When you cure them they essentially get sweeter as they age,” she says. “I notice that butternut gets considerably sweeter…for baked goods it’s delicious.” If you’re going the savory route, look for uncured squash, which has a crisper flavor that will complement saltier foods.

With the winter crops, Hammond says the easy part is the harvest. “Unlike summer squash, which you harvest daily, winter squash you harvest all at once.” Whisper Hill Farm spends about a week harvesting over 10,000 pounds of winter squash, a hefty workload that includes cleaning the vegetables off with rags, hauling them from the garden over multiple trips, and putting them into squash or watermelon bins. From there, the veggie is sent to farmers’ markets, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Harvest gems

A squash by any other name…

Acorn squash
Typically green on the outside, there’s also a white variety that can be found in the area. Quarter it and slice it with the skin on into half-inch-thick pieces, start it in a sautée pan with a high-heat-tolerant oil, and flavor with fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.

Spaghetti squash
Large pale yellow squash with yellow flesh that is known for being a substitute for pasta. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and roast it cut-side down until you can drag a fork through the squash to shred it. This squash is mild with a slight sweetness that can be accented with salt.

Delicata squash
Typically yellow with green stripes in its indents, it has a chewy peel, which can be eaten or removed. With hints of corn and molasses, it’s a great substitute for pumpkin in savories and roasts well.

Kabocha squash
This lovely squash has orange or grayish-blue edible skin, and is tasty in both savory and sweet applications. Use it as a substitute for pumpkin purée in baking.

Butternut squash
Notable for its pale skin and orange flesh, this squash also comes in a smaller version called honeynut squash. It makes an excellent roasted veggie, and is a go-to for soup that can be topped with fried sage leaves, toasted nuts or seeds, or a swirl of creme fraiche.

Categories
Culture Food & Drink Living

Farm fresh

photo by Eze Amos

By Paul Ting

Spring is springing, in its Virginia way, with perfect breezy days becoming more frequent every week. For many locals, the annual return of chirping birds means rolling out of bed early on Saturday and heading downtown, to the City Market. The beloved market has been in action since 1973, providing an opportunity to shop for fresh produce and farm-raised meats, but also a chance to “see and be seen” as much of the community shops, eats, and mingles.

However, much like the rest of us, the City Market has been forced to adapt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now, as vaccinations and decreasing case numbers give the public reason to look forward with hope, City Market is not sure when it will return to “business as usual.” It is clear that the ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions in the community and frequently adjusted guidance from local government is a key strategy at this point in time.

Once the market returns to in-person shopping, it will be welcome news indeed. Since April 2020, when it was announced that the market would be switching to a drive-through model, shoppers have been required to preorder their produce online and then drive up in their vehicles on Saturday mornings for contact­less pick up. This new model is open to any vendor registered with the city, providing a wide array of options as well as allowing shoppers to continue to do business with preferred vendors. Of course, while the ability to buy from local farms is greatly welcomed, the change meant a temporary end to browsing in person, picking up a freshly cooked breakfast or coffee on Saturday morning, and the social aspects of attending the market.

The pivot has not been without challenges. The market has had to shift locations multiple times in response to fluid govern­ment regulations and local closures—it started at Pen Park before moving to Darden Towe Park and then to Charlottesville High School.

According to City Market Manager Justin McKenzie, “The biggest challenge was migrating vendors and customers online. The shift from an in person…to an online system, where products have to be created/posted and customers have to register and purchase time slots, was difficult at the beginning.”

Although the Charlottesville City Market certainly deserves kudos for its work these past few months, it actually wasn’t the first to establish the online ordering, drive-through market model. That distinction goes to the Local Food Hub, a nonprofit founded in 2009 with the goal of connecting area independent farms directly with consumers and increasing access to fresh, local food for food-insecure communities. Quickly recognizing the needs and challenges that COVID-19 presented, the Local Food Hub announced the establishment of its contactless pick-up market on April 1, 2020, “due to small farms and food businesses challenged by stay-at-home executive orders.”

The Local Food Hub market and the City Market operate similarly, and both of them currently utilize the same online platform for ordering. Pick up for the Local Food Hub market occurs twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays at the old Kmart parking lot off Hydraulic Road (with some small adjustments made recently to allow the Blue Ridge Health Department to set up a large tent in order to distribute COVID-19 vaccines). While the Local Food Hub features a smaller number of vendors, the organization notes that vendors are specifically chosen for quality and to provide a good assortment of products, but also to minimize overlap that could decrease individual vendor profits.

It’s worth highlighting that Local Food Hub vendors receive 100 percent of their sales without any fees taken out. In fact, the online ordering platform allows shoppers to also pay fees incurred by the vendors for credit card processing and the online platform. This highlights the nonprofit mission behind the market, but many may be unaware that it means the organization operates the market at a loss. For those who wish to support these efforts, donations to the Local Food Hub are always welcome, and you can “buy” market support while you are doing your weekly shopping.

Take a walk
If you’re hankering for the in-person market experience right away, the IX Art Park Farmers Market still allows customers to wander the premises, letting everyone check out what’s fresh, what looks good, and what might inspire the perfect menu. Held on Saturday mornings, the focus is on a more traditional outdoor market experience that doesn’t require advance ordering (although online ordering for pick up is available). In addition, there are fresh prepared food options available from food trucks and some of the vendors.

The IX Park market was founded in 2018, previously existing as a way of bridging the winter months when the City Market was closed. However, due to its popularity during the pandemic, the market was continued past March last year, and ran through the rest of 2020. In January 2021, the market resumed for its fourth season, and quickly announced that it will again continue through the year.

The organization behind this market is Market Central, a nonprofit that “advocates for local food, farmers’ markets, and strong connections between the producers and community.” While it does charge vendors fees to rent space, it relies on donations for much of the work at the market and in the broader community. In addition, Market Central is able to provide SNAP and SNAP Match incentive coupons through a partnership with the Virginia Fresh Match program.

Cecile Gorham, co-founder and chair of Market Central, observes, “Both customers and vendors have appreciated and favorably responded to the opportunity to safely walk through our outdoor space for essential and nutritious food. Families seem to enjoy the opportunity to safely get outside.”

A recent visit to the IX market showed many precautions being taken: posted signs, hand sanitizer stations, widespread mask wearing, strict social distancing, and touch-free transactions. Perhaps more importantly, it revealed fresh produce and meats, a bevy of favorite food trucks, and many neighbors supporting local farms and businesses. Not only do these markets keep dollars in the local economy and promote community, but, through the inspired work of the city and nonprofits, they also help bring food to many who truly need it. As Gorham is proud to point out, during the pandemic “it has been important for vendors and customers to have options to connect for local food. Local producers have filled in food shortages with fresh, high-quality products.”

Vendor spotlight

Good eats
In addition to fresh eggs and produce, Sussex Farm is known for freshly prepared Korean food and a wide variety of kimchi. Jennifer Naylor, affectionately known as “Mama Bird” to those who frequent her stall, says it’s been challenging to provide fresh food and an alternative to grocery stores. “I think it’s an absolute necessity for people to consume what’s local and fresh to boost their immune system during times like this,” she explains, “Now, the market has become a place to go for safe, healthy, local food and fresh air.”

No more feeling crabby
Sweet Jane’s Kitchen offers Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes, both ready to eat and to take away and cook at home. Owner Alyce Johnson says they experienced an overall decrease in engagement this past year, but they’re “grateful to still be operational and hopeful for the upcoming season. The local community’s commitment to supporting local businesses has been really encouraging.”

Sharing is caring
Offering a wide variety of organic produce, fresh eggs, and meats each week at the IX market and the Local Food Hub market, Bellair Farm has become well known in Charlottesville largely as a result of its community-supported agriculture program. “Business has changed a lot,” says Michelle McKenzie, who credits the quick pivots by the markets for being instrumental in helping get through 2020, “We saw record sales…from farmers’ markets, which helped offset reduced income from events on the farm.”

Whisper Hill Farm offers many items that are popular among shoppers, including fresh garlic and a wide variety of peppers. Prior to 2020, most of the farm’s business was at farmer’ markets, but one result of this past year was an increase in its CSA, from 30 members in 2019 to 250 members in 2020. The farm has just opened up an additional 200 members shares for 2021.

Perfect pear
Myo Quinn found her way to Charlottesville from New York City when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Shortly after, Quinn met Holly Hammond of Whisper Hill during a visit to the IX market. The duo became fast friends and fast business partners. Their joint venture, the recently launched Pear, offers sweet and savory baked goods at the IX.

Still truckin’
Opened in the midst of the pandemic, Basan food truck is a staple presence at IX market, which is the only market that currently features food trucks. The menu offers an interesting mix of ramen, Korean fried chicken, and some amazing and ever-changing specials, based on Asian street food. Co-owner Anna Gardner explains, “Market Central has been absolutely wonderful trying to work with vendors and adapt safety protocols to all of the changes.” Co-owner Kelsey Naylor adds, “the farmers’ market scene has been incredibly helpful for us. It allows us to serve people in a setting where they can really spread out, or take food home, which helps minimize risk for all involved.”

Categories
Culture Food & Drink Living

Baking connections

The Pie Chest owner Rachel Pennington misses the days when customers would sit and relax in her shop, chatting with friends over coffee and a slice. Photo by Amy and Jackson smith

By Julia Stumbaugh

In 2018, Charlottesville residents Jessica Niblo and Samuel Kane met for a first date at The Pie Chest. But they were both too nervous to eat the shop’s signature dish. Instead, they sipped coffee.

Three years later, in January 2021, Kane proposed to Niblo at the same spot where they’d first met. But like many of Charlottes­ville’s bakery/cafés, The Pie Chest had changed drastically. It was forced to pivot from the kind of community gathering spot where Kane and Niblo gazed at each other over cups of coffee to a purely commercial exchange of money for take-away boxes.

“I think a big part of The Pie Chest’s identity was the space we provided for people…it would get full pretty quickly, and a lot of people would end up talking to people they didn’t know,” says Rachel Pennington, baker and owner of the shop. “Losing that, going to fully carryout and takeout, it’s just heartbreaking. I think of it every time I’m up at the shop now. We’ve lost the buzz that can happen in the room, the connections that can happen…the whole social component is mostly gone.”

The Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville told NBC29 in December that COVID-19 had sliced business revenue in half through the 2020 holiday season. Even places that have been able to remain open have felt the sting, both from the loss of income and the loss of a place to gather.

In Charlottesville, a town defined by its love for food and drink, bakeries and coffee shops are a core part of the town’s social fabric.

“We’re able to stay open and survive, but it’s become more about commerce than community, which is kind of sad,” says Jason Becton, who opened MarieBette Café & Bakery with his husband, baker Patrick Evans. “Eventually, one day, we’ll come back to that.”

With the current closure of MarieBette’s dining room, what Becton misses most is the conversations and connections he used to find with regular customers. But like Pennington, he knows the changes are necessary to keep the business around.

“I think any business that’s been able to stay open is a comfort to people in our community, just because we crave that normalcy,” Becton said. “Even though it’s not quite normal, we try to be able to keep it as normal as possible.”

Thanks to an endless series of stay-at-home orders, home bakers across the United States have turned to their kitchens for comfort, trying viral recipes to make everything from sourdough bread to whipped coffee. But for bakers like Evans and Pennington, who have spent the last year baking to keep their shops afloat, the art is more about sustenance and less about fun.

Even so, their influence has led other local bakers to discover their own love of the craft. Pennington held a series of baking classes in 2019; now, she can turn to social media to see her students reap the benefits. One student displayed her fresh-made biscuits, still golden from the cast-iron skillet. Another posted an album featuring her Pie Chest-inspired veggie pot pie.

“Before I did it for a living, baking at home was absolutely comforting, not just in the process but in knowing that I was able to do something for other people and give them something that they would enjoy,” says Pennington. “So I still know what that feeling feels like.”

The search for that feeling helped spark a new addition to the Charlottesville bakery scene—Pear, a stall at the IX farmers’ market that opened in January 2021, is a local collaboration by two strangers whose only connection was that they both love to bake for people who love to eat.

Myo Quinn, co-founder of Pear, moved to Charlottesville from New York City this summer. Lonely and homesick, the Food Network test kitchen cook headed to the farmers’ market for a sense of normalcy. There she met Holly Hammond, who was working at the Whisper Hill Farm stall.

Quinn is a culinary school-trained chef, Hammond a farmer from Arizona. This winter, they opened their own bakery stall at the market where they met.

“We’ve had a lot of recurring customers, including friends of Holly’s and customers of Whisper Hill, that keep coming over and over again,” says Quinn. “We had our third weekend and the faces started looking familiar.”

Sharing her baking with newly familiar faces has allowed Quinn to weave herself into the fabric of the Charlottesville community. She and Hammond have learned through Pear what the owners of The Pie Chest and MarieBette know well: Even in a pandemic that forces people apart, baking can bring strangers together.
But for now, most of Charlottesville’s professional bakers are left dreaming of a time when their work involves more leisurely connections with customers.

“I long for the first day I can go into a coffee shop and just sit at a table and read the paper,” says Pennington. “I think about it at least once or twice a week. I just want to be part of the food community.”

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Culture

Food web: Local farms find new ways to connect with customers

Lee O’Neill of Radical Roots Community Farm is one of many local farmers who has had to get creative with her business and distribution plans this year. Photo by John Robinson

At this point in the season, farmers have planted potatoes and strawberries. They’ve sown radishes, carrots, beets, and kohlrabi. They’ve transplanted broccoli and onions from interior pots to outdoor beds, and any day now, they’ll put  in the warmer-weather crops like corn and peppers. 

But as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order has shut down farmers’ markets and restaurants, and local farmers have had to rethink how to get food to their customers…and how to maintain their income to ensure there’s a harvest next year.

“At this time of year, we have a lot invested in the ground and not a lot of cash on hand,” says Jim Marzluff of Sweet Greens Farm in Scottsville. “Those first few markets are really important to us.” 

More than half of Sweet Greens’ revenue comes from local farmers’ markets. “It’s such a good way to sell produce in this area,” says Marzluff. 

That number’s even higher—95 percent—for Whisper Hill Farm, also in Scottsville. “We’re going to have tons of produce,” says farmer Holly Hammond.

Hammond and Marzluff plan to put what they’d normally sell at the market into community supported agriculture shares. Both farms had moved away from the CSA model in recent years, but right now, it seems like the best option to feed customers and financially sustain the farms.

Though they understand the dire importance of practicing social distancing, farmers, who already adhere to very strict food safety standards, are frustrated by the new rules. Lee O’Neill of Radical Roots Farm says that markets could likely observe even stricter measures than grocery stores—limiting how many people are in the space at once, allowing only farmers to touch the goods—and so she wonders why the markets are not also considered essential.

To help fill the gap, Local Food Hub is offering a drive-up, no-contact micro-market. Customers can go to the organization’s website to order locally produced fruits and veggies, milk, eggs, cheese, meats, and more. At the pickup location, LFH employees and farmers place the bagged order in the customer’s trunk.

And starting Saturday, April 11, the City Market will switch to a “City Market To-Go” model, operating from 8am to noon on Saturdays until further notice. Customers can sign up for an account, place an order online, and choose a 30-minute pickup window. During that time, they’ll be able to pick up their bag from Pen Park.

Farmers say there’s also been increased interest in CSA programs from customers over the past two weeks, particularly from those who are anxious that there might eventually be a food shortage.

Bellair Farm, located just outside of Charlottesville, is perhaps unique in that its business model is based almost entirely around a CSA program, which farm manager Michelle McKenzie says could provide enough produce for 700 families for its 22-week duration. (A half share, enough for the average-size family, costs $390 for the season, about $17 per week.) While Bellair won’t have to adapt its business much, it will stop its market-style CSA pickup and switch to pre-packaged bags that customers can retrieve quickly.

Radical Roots will also offer a few CSA shares this year to make up for its lost market business, and it’s participating in Local Food Hub’s micro-market, but O’Neill expects her farm’s “saving grace” will be its wholesale business with area groceries like Feast!, Integral Yoga, and Whole Foods. There’s no guarantee, though, that customers on tight pandemic budgets will opt for the slightly more expensive, locally grown organic tomato, rather than the cheaper, corporate farm-grown one. “Usually we can’t produce enough” for the stores, says O’Neill, but she imagines this year could be different. 

Since fall 2019, when this photo was taken, the Urban Agriculture Collective of Charlottesville, which grows and distributes produce to public and subsidized housing communities, has lost more than 80 percent of its planting-bed space. Photo by Zack Wajsgras

While most area farms work out how to distribute their bounties, one farm located in the heart of Charlottesville worries it won’t have enough food for its consumers’ needs.

The Urban Agriculture Collective of Charlottesville offers city residents the opportunity to collaboratively grow and harvest organic produce that is then distributed at no cost to public and subsidized housing communities, “people who might not otherwise have access to fresh produce,” says Richard Morris, farm and foodroots program director at UACC.

During the 2019 season, UACC’s three gardens, located at the Friendship Court, South First Street, and Sixth Street housing developments, had a combined 25,000 square feet of vegetable-bed space. But with the Friendship Court and South First Street spots slated for redevelopment, UACC was only able to plant at Sixth Street—4,400 square feet of bed space—for the 2020 season.

“We’re down, but not out,” says Morris. With less than one-fifth of its previous planting area to work with, he says they’ve employed some intensive growing techniques, such as vertical planting.

As unemployment rates soar, Morris expects that those members of our community who are already food insecure (about 17 percent of the city’s population) will have greater demand for produce…and that more of our neighbors will become food insecure in the coming months.

He hopes that other, larger farms and distributors with excess produce might donate it to the UACC’s new Harvest a Bushel for the Community program.

Overall, farmers say they want this moment to help the community understand the reliability, and thus the importance, of local food. It’s part of their mission, after all, to feed their neighbors.

“For me, having this very clear, outlined mission of what my role is in this crisis has brought me more peace than anything else in this time,” says McKenzie. “Knowing that I’ve got a job to do, and my job is to grow food, safely. That’s what I keep returning to.”

Dining decline

Farms that supply to area restaurants, and not just individual customers, face enormous challenges, too. As restaurants have either closed completely or switched to carry-out and delivery models, they’re not cooking as much, which means placing fewer, if any, orders with small farms.

Around half of Free Union Grass Farm’s business comes from local restaurants. This year, farmer Joel Slezak planned to raise 2,500 ducks and sell 90 percent of them to local restaurants. But a few weeks ago, orders from restaurants “disappeared overnight,” and Slezak canceled his duckling order. Instead, he’ll raise chickens and laying hens, whose meat and eggs, respectively, are easier to sell to home cooks via the farm’s website. Slezak says he’s had increased interest from individual customers, and despite the loss of his restaurant clientele, business is booming. He does worry that at some point, individual customers will run out of money and not be able to afford local food prices, which tend to be higher than those at grocery stores.

Ara Avagyan of Double H Farm has some worries, too. From December through May, his farm relies entirely on restaurants for its income. “That’s just enough” for the Avagyan family to pay the bills and keep the lights on. He continues providing to restaurants throughout the spring, summer, and fall, but he relies on farmers market sales of leafy greens, eggs, pork, and more, for the money to feed his livestock: dozens of cows, hundreds of pigs and chickens. Double H has pivoted to direct-to-customer sales through its website, and is selling to small groceries like Integral Yoga, but Avagyan says only time will tell if that model will be successful.

This article was updated Wednesday, April 8 to include information about the City Market To-Go, announced April 7.

Categories
Living

CSAs offer benefits for farms and consumers

Bellair Farm’s Jamie Barrett says joining CSAs gives community members an opportunity to join farmers on their journey.

To-may-toes. To-mah-toes. ’Maters. No matter what you call them, if you want to be slicing into the freshest ones around come summer, you’ll want to sign up to participate in community-shared agriculture. And now’s the time to do so.

The community-shared agriculture (or CSA) model of farming, which developed in North America in the 1980s, is fairly simple: Community members buy in to a farm and pay in advance, which funds the farm upfront during the seed-buying-and-planting season. As crops are harvested, community members receive their prepaid share of them throughout the growing season.

Both farmer and consumer reap many benefits from this model says Jamie Barrett, farmer at Charlottesville’s Bellair Farm. It’s a guaranteed source of income for farmers and a guaranteed source of food for the consumer, and by eliminating the middleman of the market, a CSA typically means lower prices for the consumer and more money in the pocket of the farmer, says Barrett.

A number of local farms offer CSA programs, and with more than 700 shares up for grabs between them, there are plenty of opportunities to join. Shares can be hefty, so consider your family size and veggie consumption habits when signing up, and go halvsies with a friend if you need to.

Atelier Farm

3194 Preddy Creek Rd., Charlottesville

Dates: Year-round

Pickup: At the farm

Cost: $20 per week per adult; $4 per week per child. Atelier offers both pay-in-advance and pay-as-you-go models.

Pro tip: Atelier Farm works a bit differently than other CSAs in the area. Members pay by family size, then come to the farm and pick whatever vegetables, herbs and flowers they need. Farmer-owner Austin Mandryk promises some not-so-common CSA items like corn and edamame, and more than 100 different varieties of tomatoes in the summer.

 

Bellair Farm

5375 Bellair Farm, Charlottesville

Dates: 22 weeks, mid-May through October

Pickup: Waldorf School (Mondays), St. Anne’s-Belfield School (Tuesdays); Meade Park Farmers in the Park and at the farm (Wednesdays)

Cost: $650 full share; $375 half share

Pro tip: The Bellair Farm CSA works market-style, where members mix and match from pickup site offerings to fill their bags each week. Members can also visit the farm once a week to pick their own flowers and herbs.

 

Little Hat Creek Farm

163 Shaeffers Hollow Ln., Roseland

Dates: 19 weeks, June 6 through October 10

Pickup: Wednesdays, at the farm and at a house in Charlottesville’s Starr Hill neighborhood

Cost: $595 delivery; $540 farm pickup

Pro tip: Farmer-owners Heather Coiner and Ben Stowe bake sourdough bread in the farm’s wood-fired oven and include a loaf in each weekly share. In July, there are blackberries.

 

Malcolms Market Garden

Staunton

Dates: 18 weeks, May 29/30-Sept 25/26

Pickup: Barracks Road and in the Belmont neighborhood in Charlottesville; pickups in Staunton, Waynesboro, Fishersville and Crozet as well

Cost: $280 small share; $480 large share

Pro tiop: This “farmer’s pick”-style CSA offers shares that include berries, melons and local fruit. Malcolms Market Garden CSA members can also enjoy a discount at the Staunton Farmers Market and pick-your-own strawberries, flowers and pumpkins on the farm.

 

Radical Roots Farm

3083 Flook Ln., Keezletown

Dates: 18 weeks, late May through September

Pickup: Wednesdays, 4-6pm at Albemarle Baking Company

Cost: $500; each weekly share fills a half-bushel basket

Good to know: Now in its 14th season, the Radical Roots CSA program is one of the longest-running in the area. It’s done market-style, where CSA members show up to the pickup and choose produce from that week’s harvest.

Pro tip: Radical Roots specializes in greens, offering a salad mix every week, all season. CSA members get to choose an herb each week, too.

 

Sweet Greens Farm

291 Coles Rolling Rd., Scottsville

Dates: April through November, split into three seasons

Pickup: Mid-week, at the farm and a to-be-determined location in Charlottesville

Cost: Check Sweet Greens Farm’s website for updated pricing and pickup information.

Pro tip: Sweet Greens offers a separate flower CSA, as well as some “farm bucks” shares where, the more $50 punch cards purchased at a time, the more money saved ($95 for two cards saves 5 percent; $440 for 10 cards saves 12 percent) when shopping at the farm’s Charlottesville City Market and Farmers in the Park market stands.

 

Whisper Hill Farm

7127 Scottsville Rd., Scottsville

Dates: 27 weeks (May 2 through October 31)

Pickup: Wednesdays, at Meade Park Market

Cost: $450 for $525 worth of credit

Good to know: For this market-style CSA, customers pay $450 upfront for $525 of credit to spend as they wish at any of Whisper Hill Farm’s market stands. Farmer-owner Holly Hammond keeps a register with customers’ balances that is updated every week as they pick up their produce.