Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm

Since 1988, the Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm has been building a community of people to take responsibility for supporting a farm. While sharing the abundance and the costs of cultivating our food in a healthy way, we are also increasing the fertility of the soil and enhancing the quality of our relationships to the land and to each other. The Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm began in 1988 as a creative response to corporate farming practices that deplete our environment. Today, we are proud to be one of the oldest CSA’s in the country. Our approximately 300 members support sustainable farming practices that enrich the soil, compensate farmers fairly, and preserve open space for future generations. We bring friends and family together for meaningful relationships with each other and with the land. And then there’s the produce . . . fresher and more delicious food cannot be found anywhere else. We cultivate about 20 acres of land with a colorful diversity of vegetables that make up the bulk of each member’s share. Our greenhouses supply fresh greens through the winter months, while root cellars and other facilities protect the fall harvest of potatoes, carrots, beets, and other hearty vegetables. We have a fruit orchard and pick-your-own crops such as flowers and berries. The majority of work is done by six experienced farmers and their apprentices. We do not require members to work on the farm, although we welcome volunteers. American farming is in serious trouble. Chemical-intensive, industrialized agribusiness is replacing agriculture’s human scale, diversified character, and commitment to place and community. People are increasingly separated from the source of their food. Many of us have lost the vital relationships that connect people, food, soils, and health. Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a creative response to this crisis, offering an opportunity for us to treat our food source as an essential part of our lives. Fresh, healthy, local food is the primary reason most people are drawn to community supported agriculture, but it’s about more than just vegetables! Membership not only entitles you to a share of the harvest, but also allows our farmers to focus on growing life-giving food for people they know rather than for an impersonal market. With the bottom line secured, growing decisions stem from what’s good for the land and the community rather than the dictates of economics. At the CSG at Genesis Farm, community is not simply pre-buying vegetables. The direct link between members and farmers puts the “culture” back in “agriculture.” As a result, our community begins to reconnect to the earth and to each other. We welcome all members, including children, to enjoy the beauty of the farm! Our members pick up a share either every week or every other week. Shares are further divided into full year, summer, or winter options. Historically, share size has averages 20 pounds per pickup over the course of a year. Pickup days are Tuesdays and Fridays at the farm. Members weigh and bag their own produce. Discover more about share options here. For members who live farther away, we have self-organized satellite groups in Caldwell/Verona/Montclair, Cresskill/Teaneck, Glen Rock, Madison, Maplewood/South Orange, Morristown and Scotch Plains. Contact us at(908) 362-7486orcsgardeninfo@gmail.comwith questions about satellite groups—or to start your own! We also deliver shares to Man Skirt Brewing in Hackettstown for pickup every other week from June-November. The farmers use biodynamic practices based on the spiritual insights of the Austrian scientist-philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) Biodynamics treats the soil as a living organism. It strives to build the soil and correct imbalances through the use of dynamic preparations prescribed by Steiner. They are used directly on the soil, on maturing plants, in the treatment of fungal diseases and insect infestations and in the making of compost