(CSA)
Interested in supporting local farmers, eating organic food and avoiding the sterile grocery store?
Massachusetts has a long history of agriculture and small family farms. These days it's easy to take advantage of our local food resources through one of the many farmer's markets or CSA box share program in the metro Boston region.
CSA box share programs allow consumers to purchase an annual share of a local farmer's harvest, creating a partnership between farmers and local community members. Every week you receive a box of fresh, in-season vegetables and to enjoy, knowing that they were grown with care in a town near you. Fruit and Meat CSAs are also available in some areas. This is a great opportunity for consumers to invest in the local economy and purchase environmentally sustainable produce.
Currently, the Tufts Institute for the Environment and Tufts Office of Sustainability are a drop off site for two different box-share programs (see below) in Medford (Miller Hall) and Jaharis is a drop off site in Boston.
- More information about CSAs
- Additional Reasons and Resources to buy local from UMass’s Agriculture in the Classroom program.
- Learn about the impacts of food at the Food Education and Action for Sustainability @ Tufts (FEAST) website.
- Massachusetts CSAs by county.
- Local farms, markets, CSAs and restaurants across the country.
Farmer's Markets and Box shares near Tufts
- Daily Planner for Farmer's market - CSA box share programs and local farmer's markets near Tufts' Boston and Medford/Somerville campuses. Find a market near Tufts every day of the week! Print out the PDF (easy to hang up!)
- Cape Ann Fresh Catch - a new fish CSA in Massachusetts with drop off points all over, including Cambridge.
- While we have yet to find a meat/dairy box share program in the Boston area, most farmer's markets have local farmers selling those items and there are a variety of farms where you can pick up meats, etc. on your own.
Box share drop-offs on Tufts campuses
Enterprise Farms CSA |
Enterprise farm has its roots in the “back to the land” movement of the 1970’s. Conservation, environmental integrity, and sustainability are the basis of our farming philosophy and how we got started. After 25 years we still adhere to the key principles of crop rotation and soil fertility management. Our farm grows on 10 different field locations and rotates its crops on a five year plan. We believe that this system creates the lowest impact on the environment, maintains our soil fertility, and brings you tasty, healthy veggies year after year.
Tufts Drop-off times and locations:
Medford/Somerville Campus: Tufts Institute for the Environment, 210 Packard Ave, Miller Hall. - Wednesday afternoons - Delivered by BICYCLE through Metro Pedal Power!
Metro Pedal Power will, in fact, deliver your share to any address in the Cambridge, Somerville, Medford area if you prefer. They also offer other farm share options.
World PEAS CSA |
Vegetables from World PEAS ("People Enhancing Agricultural Sustainability") Marketing Cooperative.
Tufts New Entry Sustainable Farming Project helped form the World PEAS Coop in 2005 with the goal to help economically or socially disadvantaged immigrant and refugee farmers sell more of their produce to new audiences at market prices. The CSA box share program at Tufts is starting in 2009.
Tufts Drop-off times and locations:
Boston Campus: Jaharis building at 150 Harrison Ave. - Tuesdays from 3-6pm
Medford/Somerville Campus: Tufts Institute for the Environment, 210 Packard Ave, Miller Hall. - Wednesday afternoons (by 4 PM)
To find out more and sign up: download the 2009 Brochure and registration form
