Winter CSA
We are the only farm in this area providing fresh vegetables grown on our own farm in our Winter shares. Some wholesale type CSA farms buy-in "fresh" product from as far away as California to supplement their winter offerings. For us it's about really fresh and really local.
Our greenhouses, where we grow our own fresh produce, are heated all winter with clean, green, and renewable triglyceride burner fuel which is animal fats and vegetable oils collected year round from Freeport restaurants. Because of this technology, which we have helped to develop since 2003, and the reduction in fossil carbon emissions that results, we have been awarded the use of the Environmental Leader logo from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
In the winter we only offer one share size for $400 for our summer CSA members and $450 for winter only members. Summer members get priority sign up until September 1st, and a $50 discount for the Winter CSA. This is necessary because the cost of production is higher in the winter. The winter share is not intended to be all your vegetables because the choices are limited by the season. If you are a hardcore locavore, buy two shares.
Pick up is at the farm twice a month on Thursday afternoons between 2:00 pm and 6:30 pm. Portland pick ups will be at the Greenlight Studio, 49 Dartmouth Street, Portland on Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, twice every month. If you forget when the pickups are you can check the Calendar page for a complete listing of all pickup locations and times.
If you can't make it to pick up, we will make up a bag for you as long as you let us know by 8am on Friday. Please call and leave a message on the answering machine, that being generally more reliable than email.
Over the course of the winter you will receive the same high quality specialty vegetables that we grow for chefs at some of the finest restaurants in Portland.
One of the wonderful things about growing vegetables in the winter is that we are not dependent on the vagaries of the weather. If it's cold, our heating system keeps the temperature just right. If it's dry, we can make it rain gently until the moisture is just right. A really cloudy winter can slow things down a bit, but that's not usually a problem. For these reasons, the "share” that you receive in the winter is more consistent than it might be during a difficult summer. As in the summer, we do our best to even things out, but still the contents of each share vary from pick-up to pick-up and from year to year.
In Laughing Stock Farm's winter CSA you can count on getting the full value for your dollar every winter.
To secure your place in our winter CSA, follow these links to the winter brochure and Order Form. Print it, fill it out and return it to the address on the form with your non-refundable 50% deposit. Space for the winter CSA is very limited. When our membership limit is reached, we will return deposits and maintain a waiting list on a first-come- first-served basis in case anyone drops out.