Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one of our favourite ways to support our local growers and producers. It’s pretty much the ideal system for connecting you to the freshest and best product available locally. In the CSA model, a consumer buys in at the beginning of the growing season, providing the farmer an influx of cash to get the crops growing. In return, you, the customer, get a weekly supply of product, typically fruit and vegetables often accompanied by a newsletter and recipes to leave you feeling inspired to get into the kitchen.
The farmer gets a guaranteed source of income, which allows the consumer to contribute to a sustainable local food system. You receive fresh fruits and vegetables, often in varieties, colours, and shapes that are new to you. It’s a win-win situation.
The CSA model is thriving in BC with Vancouver Island not being an exception. Our Victoria Program Assistant, Christine, has put together a list of the many CSA programs available through the island. And if signing up for a CSA isn’t for you, read through to learn about many farms on the Island and how you can support them.
Saanich
Fierce Love Farm
fiercelovefarm.ca
We are a small certified organic farm growing a diversity of high-quality vegetables, fruit, and flowers for our local community. We are part of Haliburton Community Organic Farm.
Season/Cost:
18 week CSA
$463.50 (includes $0.75 weekly subsidy towards CSA shares for families with barriers to food access!)
Our CSA is currently sold out. However, we sell weekly at Moss Street Market, and in the main season you have the option to pre-order from our website for pick up.
Find us on Instagram: @fiercelovefarm
Peas n’ Carrots Farm
This year we are running a small CSA at Peas n’ Carrots, offering our very best, fresh, seasonal produce.
Each week, customers could receive anything from kals, tomatoes, beans, eggs, salad greens, chard, peppers, beets, radishes, strawberries, onion, herbs, cucumber, potatoes, squash, and of course, peas n’ carrots! This year, this money invested by shareholders will go towards building our epic wash station and a space for chickens.
Season/Cost:
Mid June - Mid September
We will have beautiful food boxes available for shareholders at a value of at least twenty dollars each week for pickup at the Farm on Thursdays.
CSA is $20 a week for 15 weeks for a total of $300 for the season
The best way to get in touch with us is on social media.
Instagram: @peasncarrotsfarm
Facebook: @peasncarrotsfarm
Rake and Radish Farm
rakeandradish.ca
Rake and Radish is a small-scale farm growing a wide range of vegetables, as well as berries and flowers, at the base of PKOLS on unceded W̱SÁNEĆ territory. At Rake and Radish Farm, we aim for queer farming and make fresh, delicious vegetables more accessible to people in our community. CSA opening for registration around mid-March.
Season/Cost:
The season runs for 20 weeks, from June to October. Small boxes are $15/box and large boxes are $30/week.
Follow along on social media.
Instagram: @rakeandradish
Facebook: @rakeandradish
Square Root Farm
squarerootfarm.com
We are a certified organic farm on the Saanich Peninsula. Our CSA is a farmer-chosen selection of the best produce we have in the field. We love vegetables! Weekly boxes will include a mix of vegetables that are familiar - like lettuce, beans, carrots, cucumbers, and kale but expect some vegetables that might be new - like celeriac, salad turnips, and fennel. Be aware that we LOVE growing chicories like escarole and radicchio so if you aren't yet a fan of mildly bitter flavours, now is the season to learn! Also, because of where our farm is, we aren't allowed to grow potatoes or tomatoes so that's not part of our offering.
Our vegetables (and us!) can be found at The Moss Street Market starting in May. We also get to work with some of the best chefs in Victoria. If you are able, please support some of the wonderful restaurants that work to support local farms, their own staff and co workers and their community. A few restaurants Square Root Farm ingredients can be found at are: Agrius, Nowhere *A restaurant, and The Courtenay Room.
Season/Cost:
Our main season CSA runs from mid-June through the end of September: $480 for 16 weeks ($30/box)
Our fall season CSA is October through mid-November: $180 for 6 weeks ($30/box)
Find us on Instagram: @squarerootfarm/
The Plot Market Garden theplotmarketgarden.com/store/
Fresh, seasonal salad-forward vegetables from our small no-spray, no-till farm. We also offer add-on products from other local producers like Old Soul Jam Co, House of Boateng, Forager's Galley, Blackrose farm, Babe's honey, and more. Delivery to Greater Victoria is included in the price of our CSA boxes.
Season/Cost:
Our boxes are $30, which includes a delivery fee, and runs from April - November. They can be purchased in two ways: Either as a traditional CSA model where seasonal boxes are paid for upfront ($300 for the first 10 Spring boxes), or as a flexible pay-as-you-go model, where you purchase from the online store week-by-week as you like (subscribe to get weekly notifications during the growing season of what's in the box). However, we do encourage signing up for the traditional model as it helps us as small farmers get ready for the season ahead with some financial stability. Both our pre-paid sign-up and pay-as-you-go options allow purchasing add-ons from other local producers.
Find us on social media.
Instagram: @theplotmarketgarden
Facebook: @theplotmarketgarden
Victoria
City’s Edge Farm
citysedgefarm.ca/weekly-produce-boxes/
City’s Edge Farm grows a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and berries using techniques chosen to enrich the soil, care for the land and produce nutrient-rich food for the local community. We sell our crops through a weekly (or biweekly) share to our CSA members as well as at our Farm Stand.
Members who join City’s Edge Farm’s CSA are more than just customers, they are central to making the farm a success. In exchange for their commitment to the farm, we work to provide our CSA members with an abundance of healthy food throughout the season.
Season/Cost:
City’s Edge Farm main season CSA runs for 22 weeks, from May 27th – Oct 21st, 2021.
A Full share (weekly) is $660 and a Half share (biweekly) is $330. Members can pay in full or with monthly payments.
Find us on social media.
Instagram: @citys_edge_farm
South Island FarmHub
ifarmhub.ca/produce-boxes
The South Island FarmHub offers an aggregated produce box, meaning we source local produce, eggs, bread, and processed items from different farms in the CRD to produce a weekly produce box. Customers can also shop "a la carte" to create their own box. We currently have 20 participating farmers and processors. We do not offer the traditional CSA model rather we seek to support farms in helping to distribute their excess after they satisfy their own CSA's. We are the next option after your local farm's CSA has filled.
Season/Cost:
Small Regional Box $35/week | Big Regional Box $50/week | Organic Regional Box $45/week
We will begin in April and our goal is to go year-round.
Follow along on social media.
Instagram: @southislandfarmhub
Facebook: @SouthIslandFarmHub
Langford - Metchosin - Sooke - Shirley
Greener Side Farm
The Greener Side farm is a sustainable small-scale farm started in fall 2019 by Lo Shrum in the Sooke/Shirley region. Offering vegetables with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers as well as organically fed and ethically raised pork. The farm isn’t certified organic yet but strongly believes in its practices and follows the standards of the certification bodies as well as focusing on minimizing the impact on the environment.
CSA baskets will be delivered right to your door or you can choose to pick it up in Sooke. Delivery locations include Sooke, Otter Point, Shirley and Langford. To Register you can fill out the registration form here: https://forms.gle/friqAmsLmotDSsRt7
Or you can check out our online store- https://www.localline.ca/the-greener-side-farm
We will also have products available for sale from May until December on our online store as well as at the Sooke Night Market and Shirley Market from June until September. If you would like to receive updates when things are available register to our newsletter by clicking this link.
Season/Cost:
Our CSA Basket this year is delivered weekly for 21 weeks from beginning of June until the end of October. $20 vegetable baskets
Follow us on social media!
Instagram: @thegreenersidefarm
Facebook: @thegreenersidefarm
Livin’ the Dream Farm
livinthedreamfarm.net/
Three generations of the Greenwood Family are farming together in Shirley! Their Full Share, and Family Share CSA boxes are sold out, but check out their website at livinthedreamfarm.net/box-program to learn more about their other offerings such as salad shares, eggs, plants, and vegetable, herb, and medicinal plant starts.
Follow along on Facebook: @greenwoodfarmers
Silvercloud Farm
www.silvercloudfarm.ca
Silver Cloud Farm is a small-scale farm in Sooke that follows the principles of organic farming, and focuses on producing a wide array of vegetables, berries, and fruit. Our goal is to grow premium quality, fresh produce that is harvested at the peak of perfection
Season/Cost:
June - end of October
$20 per box with options for larger or smaller boxes
Follow along on social media!
Instagram: @silvercloudfarm
Facebook: @SilvercloudfarmSooke
Sweet Acres Farm
sweetacresfarm.ca
Sweet Acres Farm is owned and operated by Ariella Falkowski on leased land at Lohbrunner Community Farm in Langford BC. We have become well known through the Greater Victoria area over the past 3 years for delicious, high-quality, certified organic mixed produce.
In 2021 we are not offering a CSA program, but instead are focusing our energies on growing a limited amount of storage crops to feed ourselves and our communities. These will include favourites like carrots, beets, potatoes, winter squash, onions, shallots, and more - with a few fun and seasonal tidbits thrown in there too! Bulk amounts of storage crops will be available for folks interested in stocking up for winter come fall.
We highly recommend signing up for our mailing list (link on website) and following our social media channels to stay in the know!
Find us on social media!
Instagram: @sweetacresfarmer
Facebook: @SweetAcresFarm
Umi Nami Farm
minamifarm.wordpress.com/vegetable-box-program/
$10, $15, $ 20, $25, $30 (larger boxes available as well) - can increase or decrease any time—changes will appear on your next invoice
Follow along on social media!
Instagram: @uminamifarm
Facebook: @uminamifarm
Vitality Farm
vitalityfarm.ca
Our farm is a proud member of the Lohbrunner Community Farm Cooperative. Located in the western communities, Lohbrunner Community Farm is a sanctuary where families and people of all ages learn, contribute, and experience where their food comes from. Vitality Farm is proud to be the supplier to many local farm-to-table restaurants, including Canoe Brew Pub, Wild Mountain Food and Drink, House of Boateng, Indecent Risotto, and The Palms Kitchen at Hotel Rialto as well as weekly attendance at the Goldstream and Metchosin Farmers markets. Last year we received outstanding support from the community. And we Thank You for that! You will find Our Harvest Box selections offer you premium, restaurant quality, fresh, local produce for farm pick-up.
Season/Cost:
Vitality farm has 5 CSA box options, operating through early Spring to Fall (May-late October) - ranging from 7 - 22 weeks long, with several different pricing options.
Learn more about the various options and pricing by checking out their webpage.
Follow along on social media!
Instagram: @dianadoug_brubaker/
Mill Bay/Duncan
OUR Eco Village
ourecovillage.org/our-csa-box/
OUR Ecovillage has approximately nine acres in food production, including greenhouses, propagated gardens, food forests, animal areas, and grazing space. As with all areas of our site, permaculture is always on our minds as we plan and grow as much food as possible to meet our community’s needs. OUR Educational CSA Boxes contain fresh food grown and harvested on the land as well as other local community goodies ready for pick up each week. Upon CSA subscription, you will also receive our weekly newsletter which features recipes, valuable information, and special programs.
Season/Cost:
OUR Educational Lifestyle Box
Includes vegetables and fruit (when available) for 4 or 5 people, a surprise OUR item — e.g. eggs, sausages, or canned goods, and an occasional sample of a locally-made product or service.
Full Season – 20 Weeks: $850
First Half Season – 10 Weeks: $425
Second Half Season – 10 Weeks: $425
OUR Educational Veggie Box
Includes enough vegetables and fruit (when available) for 2 or 3 people, a recipe, and an occasional sample of a locally-made product or service.
Full Season – 20 Weeks: $650
First Half Season – 10 Weeks: $325
Second Half Season – 10 Weeks: $325
We don’t want to leave anyone out, if you have a need and wish to make alternative payment arrangements, please email us at info@ourecovillage.org and make a proposal.
Follow along on social media!
Instagram: @ourecovillage
Facebook: @O.U.R.Eco
Courtney
Amara Farm
amarafarm.ca
In addition to our CSA program, we also have a farmstand that runs on Tuesdays and Fridays. Items can be pre-ordered from our website for a contactless pick-up.
Season/Cost:
Amara farm provides a 10-week Summer CSA that runs from June-Sept. We also do a 6-week fall CSA that runs from the second week of Sept to the end of October.
We include $30 worth of vegetables and fruit (including at least three weeks of blueberries) with pick-up at our farm north of Courtenay.
Follow along on social media!
Instagram: @amara_farm
Facebook: @AmaraFarm
Twitter: @AmaraFarm
Whitaker Farm
whitakerfarmyqq.com
Whitaker Farm is certified organic and has been growing for CSA programs for five years in Courtney. We offer a 16 week program with a choice of delivery or on farm pick up. Veggies we love to grow include super sweet carrots, peas, tomatoes, salad, potatoes and strawberries!
Season/Cost:
Summer 16 weeks/ Fall 6 weeks
Available until March - Farmers Market Friend program. Pre purchase market or farmstand credit of $600 for only $500, you get 20% more for your money!