2023 Long Island CSA fair returns to Brentwood
Assorted peppers at at the farm stand at H.O.G Farm in Brookhaven. Credit: Randee Daddona
Crocuses are peeking through the soil, the trees are beginning to bud — and now's the time to earmark your haul of the bounty that's coming from Long Island farms that offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs. Members of a CSA pay in advance for a portion of the harvest at a particular farm; in return, the farm keeps the member stocked with produce throughout the spring, summer and fall. More than a dozen local farms will attend the third annual CSA fair in Brentwood on Sunday, March 5, and visitors can decide which farm, and which plan, is best for them.
CSAs are great for folks who want a steady and value-priced stream of local produce, and they are great for farmers because they provide much-needed capital at the beginning of the growing season. Some plans are weekly, others biweekly. Some allow you to customize your box, others include options for "add-ons" such as flowers, eggs, meat, fish or cheese. All farms welcome members for scheduled pickups; many set up drop-off points throughout the Island. Plan on spending $500 to $900 for the season.
The fair's 16 participating farms include Thera, Napolitano and Red Fox farms (all of which are located on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood), Garden of Eve and Herricks Lane farms in Riverhead, Restoration Farm in Old Bethpage, Elija Farm in South Huntington, Orkestai Farm in Oyster Bay, H.O.G. (Hamlet Organic Garden) Farm in Brookhaven
Natural Earth Organics in Calverton, Crossroads in Malverne and Hawthorne Valley, a biodynamic farm in the Hudson Valley that also raises beef, chicken and pork.
Most CSA deliveries get underway in May, with salad greens and perhaps with asparagus. Then it’s off to the races, with spinach and strawberries in June, beans, corn, zucchini and peppers in July, tomatoes and broccoli in August, cauliflower and cabbage in September, collards and winter squash in October.
Even if you’re not interested in joining a CSA, the event holds appeal. The setting is the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, a convent-school-community center whose glorious 200-acre campus comprises farms, meadows, woodland and a meditation labyrinth. There will be cooking demonstrations (vegetarian sushi rolls and Japanese stir fry) with free samples, as well as food to purchase in the cafe. And if all that isn’t inducement enough, Mike & Son knife-sharpening truck will be on site, so bring all your dull knives.
The CSA fair is presented by Slow Food North Shore, NOFA-NY, iEat Green and Deep Roots Farmers Market. It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 5 at the Sisters of St. Joseph in Building #2, 1725 Brentwood Rd., Brentwood. Details at slowfoodnorthshore.org or contact Bahvani Jaroff at bhavani@ieatgreen.com or 516-238-3616.
Restoration Farm in Old Bethpage owners Daniel Holmes and Caroline Fanning on the planting fields of their farm Saturday Oct. 2, 2021. Story about 6 Long Island farms. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
