CSA -
Community Supported Agriculture
Notes About CSA
Our CSA is closed for the season! Thank you to everyone who helped us hit our goal of 25 members. If you’re interested in joining our CSA next year, please reach out and we can add your name to a waitlist for 2025.
How to Sign Up
Select share size and pick-up location from the options below and email us at communitasfarm@gmail.com.
Continue to the online checkout if paying with credit card. Or, mail check, noting your pick-up location and email address.
Once we receive your payment, we will send an email confirmation.
Checks can be made payable to Communitas Farm, LLC and mailed to 17611 Grace Road, Hampstead, MD 21074. Please include your email address and preferred pick-up location with your check. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your check and your subscription.
Before signing up, we recommend reading through the remainder of this page, including the FAQs. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
Flexible Payment Plans Available
We understand that the up-front investment in a CSA share can be cost prohibitive; therefore, we offer an optional payment plan to spread the cost across several months. In addition, we can make special accommodations for families that require greater payment flexibility. Please contact us if you require additional financial assistance.
Please note! If you choose this option in the online store, then you must email us your pick-up location. During the checkout process, you cannot choose a pick-up location for a multi-payment subscription. It will default to “on-farm” as the pick-up option and you can ignore this.
Committing to the Season
CSA members must commit to the entire season because we plan our production to meet the needs of our CSA members.
Swap Box
Don’t like a certain vegetable? Each week, you may swap one of your items for another crop that is available in the “swap box.” However, we encourage members to try new vegetables and cooking methods to explore the many varieties, flavors, and preparations that make vegetables delicious and nutritious.
Food Allergies
Please let us know if you’re allergic to any of the weekly produce, and we will replace that item for you. The homepage lists the crops we expect to harvest in 2024. If you are allergic to any of them, please let us know, and we can make accommodations.
Production Variability
Farming is notoriously unpredictable, and our anticipated weekly production could change as each week progresses. Although we will strive to provide you with an accurate weekly list of your CSA items, the produce may change slightly before your pick-up date.
Add-on Subscriptions
You can add a subscription of eggs, olives, and/or olive oil to your CSA share. You will pick up these items at your chosen CSA location. You must order the olives on a weekly or biweekly basis to receive them in your share. All other add-on subscriptions are a single payment for the season. All subscriptions begin with the start of the CSA season—the week of May 27th.
The eggs are from our friends, Birdland Pastures in Manchester, who raise pasture, free range hens. Their hens also receive our vegetable scraps after harvesting and pulling out crops, so everyone is eating their veggies. You have the choice between receiving a dozen or half dozen eggs weekly or biweekly (every other week) throughout the CSA season.
The olives and olive oil come from Dimitri Olive Oil whose store front is in Timonium and farm is in southern Greece. Their olive oil and olives come straight from their farm where they plant, grow, and harvest their olives. The olive oil is always cold pressed, unfiltered, and extra virgin, so it’s the most delicious and nutritious. We are offering a monthly subscription for olive oil and a weekly or biweekly (every other week) subscription of olives.
Picking Up Your CSA Share
CSA shares can be picked up on the following days, at the following locations. Let us know which day and location works best for you, and we will make sure your access to fresh weekly produce is as convenient as possible. Please select one pick-up option for the entire season.
Wednesdays: United States Pharmacopeia — Rockville (pick-up time arranged with Nick)
Thursdays: One Rock Farmacy — Lot D, Old Ellicott City (12pm-7pm) & Mt. Washington Tavern (6-6:30pm)
Saturdays: On Farm — 17611 Grace Road, Hampstead, MD 21074 (11am-1pm)
Sundays: Mt. Washington Farmers’ Market (10am-2pm)
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CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, is a subscription to a farm. Each week, CSA members receive a box of food, a “share,” from the farm. At Communitas Farm, we specialize in growing herbs and vegetables for our CSA members.
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CSA is not for everyone. The list below is meant to help potential CSA members determine whether the subscription model fits their preferences and needs.
ProsKnowing where your food is coming from
Having farmers dedicated to growing your food
Receiving freshly harvested produce
Supporting local farming
Diversifying food sourcing
Cons
Budgeting for up-front food costs
Committing to receive a share for 26 weeks (6 months)
Cooking three or more times per week
Receiving a variety of food that may be unfamiliar and generally requires meal planning
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You will receive weekly emails that explain which crops will be harvested for CSA. Updates will also be posted to social media.
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Members must provide Communitas with advance notice so accommodations can be made for events like vacations. If you can’t make it to your pick up day, you can send a friend or family member to pick up your share, but please give us at least a 12 hour notice so we know who to expect.
We will donate shares that are not picked up.
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The quantity of an item depends on the crop. CSA members may receive several units of smaller crops, such as carrots and radishes, and only one unit of a larger crop like cabbage.
Here are some examples of a CSA item: 1/2 lb of greens, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, 1-2 zucchinis, 1 head of lettuce -
In general, you should select the amount of produce you expect to eat each week. If you’re new to CSA, we recommend selecting a share size that you know your family will consume. For the adventurous or experienced CSA customer, additional food is easily preserved with minimal planning and time. Canning, freezing, and infusing extend the shelf-life of fresh produce.
