New Leaf Organics

Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) reconnects people with the farms producing their food. Members pay an annual fee before the growing season to help meet the farm’s early season expenses. Members pick up their share of freshly picked and washed produce, flowers and herbs at the farm. Each week the selection varies according to our harvest. Receive fresh, local organic produce; save money over retail and farmer’s market prices; become a steward of local farmland.

Why should I become a member?: Receive fresh, locally grown, organic vegetables every week! You have the chance to know where your food is grown, enjoy healthy produce, and support the local economy, all while saving money! A CSA provides the farmer with financial security at the beginning of the season when expenses are highest. You will save over 15% of retail cost by purchasing directly from New Leaf. It is also a great way to get to know your neighbors.

10 Good Reasons to Eat Local Food from New Leaf Organic Farm

Locally grown food tastes better. Food grown at New Leaf Farm is usually harvested for you the day you pick it up. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Produce from California, Florida, Chile, or Mexico must travel on trucks or planes and then it is stored in warehouses. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles.
Local produce is better for you. The shorter to the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food. Most fresh produce loses much of its nutritional value within 48 hours of harvesting. Locally grown food, collected at our CSA pick-up soon after harvest, retains its nutrients.
Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for an ability to have a long shelf life in the store. In contrast, at New Leaf Farm, we grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors.
Local food is safer. With all the issues related to food safety and homeland security, there’s an assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye or walking in the fields where your food comes from. At New Leaf, you get to know “your farmer” and know that we take our responsibility to our members seriously.
Local food supports local farm families. In Vermont and across the country, farmers are a vanishing breed. And no wonder - commodity prices are at historic lows, often below the cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food - which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, and keep it active.
Local food builds community. When you buy direct from New Leaf, you are engaging in a time-honored connection between eater and grower, and you are supporting a local business. Getting to know folks who grow your food helps you know more about the place and community in which you live. And at our CSA, it gives you access to a farm where you, your children and grandchildren can learn about nature and agriculture.
Local food preserves open space. Our agricultural landscape will survive only as long as farms are financially viable. When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.
Local food keeps taxes down. According to several studies, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most residential development contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services.
Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Our organic farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. We grow cover crops to prevent erosion and replace nutrients used by our crops. Additionally, the habitat of our farm provides a home for wildlife.
Local food is an investment in our future. By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food. Buy local food. Sustain local farms.