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Community Agriculture Plans Offer Members a Connection to the Land
Map to Loudoun County CSAs

Subscribing to a Community-Supported Agriculture program (CSA) has become an increasingly popular alternative to grocery stores for consumers looking to purchase fresh, seasonal produce grown closer to home. And now’s the time to sign up for the 2009 growing season, which typically runs from May to October.

In fact, Shawna DeWitt at Mountain View Farms said today that their CSA memberships have already been filled for the upcoming season; they only offer 10 slots.

Below are four Loudoun CSAs that are or will accept membership applications for the summer harvest.

Great Country Farms

“Buy Local, Eat Local, Play Local” is the motto at Great Country Farms, located outside Bluemont, which also offers a pick-your-own program for in-season fruits and vegetables. This year, the farm is adding some new features to its CSA program, including monthly chef demonstrations using CSA produce, more flexible pick-up hours and a 5 percent cash discount for members who pay their CSA fee in full with cash or check. A full share is $799; a half share is $425. If you want your share delivered to your doorstep, you'll pay more: a full share is $949 and a half share is $575. Membership includes 20 parcels from June to October. Click here for enrollment information.

Moutoux Orchard

Located in Purcellville, the Moutoux Orchard CSA offers a diverse mix of vegetables to members. The farm’s 2009 CSA season starts July 1 and runs for 18 weeks. A full share will provide veggies for a family of four or five and costs $500; a half share runs $300. Subscribers may pick up their weekly share from the farm on Wednesday afternoons; delivery to Leesburg is also available. For more information and to enroll, e-mail moutouxorchard [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Potomac Vegetable Farms

Potomac Vegetable Farms breaks out its CSA shares into spring, summer and autumn harvests. The summer share offers 16 weeks of fresh veggies, including, but not limited to, tomatoes, squash, basil, eggplant, peppers, celery and swiss chard. A mini summer share (about a quarter of a bushel) is $310, a regular share (half-bushel) is $460 and a robust share (designed for larger families) is $620. Shares are distributed from the Purcellville farm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Pick-ups are also available at Leesburg and Ashburn locations. Registration opens Feb. 15. Last year, according to PVF’s Web site, all their shares sold out in a week!

Stoneybrook Farms

Stoneybrook Farms, a certified-organic grower in Hillsboro offers CSA members 20 weeks of fresh veggies. A half share is $585 and a full share is $955, with weekly Wednesday distributions at the farm during the CSA season. The enrollment deadline for Stoneybrook Farms’ CSA is Feb. 15. To enroll in Stoneybrook Farms' program, click here.

Do you participate in a CSA program? If so, we’d love to hear from you about your experience. Feel free to comment below.