CSAs in flux: Farm subscription models take on new flavors

Thirty years since starting the state’s first community supported agriculture program - or CSA - at Springdale Farm, Peter Seely has seen a shift.

People still want local, fresh produce and a connection to farmers, but they want more options. The one-size-fits-all, big box of produce once a week farm share model still exists. But as farmers compete with online shopping choices and busier schedules, they’re moving toward smaller, more customized options to reach new audiences.

Seely founded Springdale Farm in Plymouth with his wife, Bernadette, in 1988, becoming Wisconsin’s earliest CSA. Former teachers, the Seelys found inspiration in the early ’80s after touring CSA farms on the East Coast, including the country’s first, Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts.  

“There was a big farmer crisis, a lot of farms were going bankrupt,” Seely said. “(CSAs were) a way to collectively pledge support to a farm for a season, and the farm could concentrate on growing the food, not worry about whether he can make his payments and whatnot. Those issues are still relevant.”

At the same time, the Seelys have seen more CSA farms go organic, along with other changes.

“One indication is that we used to have a waiting list for most of our existence,” Seely noted. “We started with just 45 shares our first year, and we gradually built up to doing over 800 for a couple years. But the last few years, while we didn’t necessarily want to increase, we just didn’t get the same numbers.

“There are a lot of choices now,” he added, “where in the beginning we were one of the only ones.”

In Madison, about 50 local farms are members of FairShare CSA Coalition. FairShare’s executive director, Erika Jones, also sees an evolution in the CSA market.

“We have seen the number of shares our farmers are selling have continued to increase, but the types of shares they are selling has changed,” she continued. “They are selling more small-sized and every-other-week shares instead of getting a box every week.”

RELATED:Tips for choosing the right CSA for you

Also more popular: seasonal shares; for example, a fall share that starts in November or October and extends the season.

Jones is seeing other creative farm share options as well.

“You might pick up your share at the market and use a punch card,” she said. “If you’re a person like me who likes to make salsa, you may take that and buy a bunch of tomatoes and onions when it is time. Instead of the farmer picking produce for you, you can choose what you get.”

Some farmers maintain produce lists online, and others may email lists of available produce for the most up-to-date information.

When everything is just a click away, more customers want what they want when they want it. Some farmers are adding eggs, dairy, meat, even flour and flowers. Meal kits and prepared foods are making their way into the CSA sphere, too.

“Some CSAs offer meat, like LOTFOTL Community Farm raises pork, and Turtle Creek Gardens in Delavan has a relationship with a meat farmer,” said Anne Steinberg, a CSA member and volunteer who helps organize the annual Local Farmer Open House at the Urban Ecology Center. “People can add stuff as they need it and pick it up with their share.”

Marr’s Valley View Farms in Mineral Point is just a meat CSA, she added. And Pinehold Gardens in Oak Creek partners with Anarchy Acres in Mount Pleasant for heritage flour, so consumers can purchase a flour share.  

“There are shares for flowers, and some of the farmers are preserving food so you can order fermented veggies or frozen soup, meal kits, even bread,” Steinberg said.

Delivery systems are changing, too. In addition to increasing the number of pickup locations, some farmers are teaming up with businesses to bring food directly to employees at their workplace.

If enough people join from one workplace, that becomes a delivery spot, Steinberg explained. There are already programs at Marquette University, von Briesen & Roper, and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The newest collaboration is with City Hall, a partnership with Cream City Farm and Springdale Farm featuring a pick-up site in the Zeidler Building, 841 N. Broadway.

Through all these changes, social media can be a CSA farmer’s best friend. Just ask Rick Slager.

Slager, a longtime landscaper, started Produce with Purpose farm with his wife, Dawn Sadlowsky-Slager, in 2011. 

“There’s nothing more damaging to my ears than having someone say there was too much (in a share) and they had to throw it away,” said Slager.

In late 2016, the Fond du Lac-based farm started offering a “Build a Box” program with online ordering year-round. For a $20 minimum order, consumers can pick and choose the produce they want each week, adding eggs or other items as desired. It went viral on social media, challenging Slager to meet demand those first few weeks.

“It really did change things,” said Slager. “We put quite a bit more into storage this winter because when it went viral last winter we were caught with a bit less, so this year we planted accordingly. We’re in good shape now.”

“Build a box” now outsells their traditional CSA program, and they’ve added meal kits for $10: a recipe serving six to eight plus the fresh ingredients needed to make it. Drop-off points extend from Appleton and Fond du Lac into Milwaukee, and they’re looking at adding more locations soon.

“It is trickier on our end, which is probably why a lot of farms have stayed away from it,” said Slager. “But I’ve watched a lot of farmers add them this spring.”

Cutting waste and increasing accessibility year-round is also the push behind the “Frozen Assets” program started in 2016 by Central Rivers Farmshed, a nonprofit in Stevens Point. While they’re not farmers, they do connect farmers to community. As part of Frozen Assets, Central Rivers Farmshed processes produce from farms in Athens and Amherst, freezing everything from corn and peppers to winter squash and continuing to make them available year-round.

“We’ve created … our version of a winter CSA,” said kitchen coordinator Greg Petz. Members process foods through the growing season into November for the program. Participation is voluntary, but members who do work earn credit toward purchases of fruits and vegetables they preserve.

“We’re using CSA-grown foods, and we have a regular pickup, workshares and whatnot, but we’re not a farm,” Petz said. “We don’t grow the food.”

Competition will continue to be an issue for individual CSA farmers. There are more farmers markets than ever — more than 50 in the Milwaukee area alone — plus more CSA farms, and grocery stores are selling local and organic with online ordering and drive-through pickup. Then there are national online options for produce and meal kits, including Farmbox Direct, a produce delivery service that Walmart recently added.

At FairShare, Jones acknowledges the challenge.

“One of the things FairShare is trying to do is help people see that CSA is not the same as getting a grocery store delivery,” Jones said. “You are directly supporting a farm you know, and directly investing in local farms.”

Meet the farmers

Two events coming up allow consumers to meet farmers in person and sign up for the CSA of their choice.

Urban Ecology Center hosts the 16th annual Local Farmer Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 10 at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place. Admission is free.

Fifteen area farms will be on hand to share information and take signups for CSA season. Scheduled programs include how to select a farm subscription at 11 a.m. John Raymond, chef de cuisine at Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, hosts a cooking demonstration at 1 p.m. Additional cooking demonstrations featuring tips for cooking from a CSA box will be at 12:15 and 2 p.m.

For more information, go to urbanecologycenter.org  or call (414) 964-8505.

Madison’s FairShare CSA Coalition hosts its 26th annual CSA Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 18 at Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison. Meet farmers from the approximately 20 farms that will be on hand with signup information. Several farms do feature drop-off locations in the Milwaukee area.

For more information, go to csacoalition.org or call (608) 226-0300.  

Market Eats delivers

Another variation on farm to table is the new Market Eats Delivery program bringing prepared meals and products from the Shorewood Farmers Market to consumers year-round. Working with tenants who use her shared commercial kitchen space in Riverwest, Kathy Papineau launched the delivery service in February. 

Local producers connect to consumers by taking orders on a weekly basis. The food businesses featured under Market Eats Delivery include Madam Macaron, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls and Grandpa Dave’s, along with Papineau’s own soups and beet spread. 

“The concept is something I’ve been thinking about forever,” said Papineau. “New products have to have a place to start, and when you don’t have your own brick and mortar or retail space, this is an option.

“Last year I had so many tenants from my kitchen also at the Shorewood Farmers Market. This helps give vendors a constant presence, a reminder they still exist outside of farm market season.” 

Orders must be placed by noon on Sunday for delivery between 4 and 6 p.m. Tuesday. Prices start at $8. To order, go to marketeatsdelivery.com.

RECIPES

Farmer and food-blogger Lauren Rudersdorf at Raleigh's Hillside Farm made this beautiful Broccoli Basil Quiche using FairShare’s “From Asparagus to Zucchini” cookbook, available at csacoalition.org.

Broccoli Basil Quiche 

Makes 6 servings

• 1 pie pan lined with pie dough (from scratch or store-bought)
• 1 cup finely diced broccoli
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Gruyere cheese
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup half‑and‑half, whipping cream or milk
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prick bottom and sides of crust and line with foil. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes, remove foil, and bake another 8 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.

Toss broccoli, green onions, cheese and flour in a bowl. Spread mixture over bottom of crust. Whisk remaining ingredients in the bowl. Pour filling into crust. Bake until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

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Madison blogger Vikram Bapat of Breaking Naan put his own spin on Northern Comfort Roast Parsnip Soup by garnishing it with grated parsnips, apples, lemon and parsley. The recipe is from the book “From Asparagus to Zucchini” by FairShare, available at csacoalition.org.

Northern Comfort Roast Parsnip Soup 

Makes 6 servings 

• 1 medium bulb garlic
• 2 pounds parsnips, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
• ¼ pound shallots, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme (divided)
• 1 cup dry white wine (divided)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) (divided)
• 4 tablespoons half-and-half cream or soy milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove papery outer layers from garlic head; slice off and discard top quarter of the head. Toss garlic head, parsnips and shallots with olive oil in a large baking dish. Scatter half the thyme sprigs around vegetables; drizzle with ½ cup wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover tightly with foil. Roast in preheated oven 20 minutes; uncover and continue to cook until vegetables are soft, 20 to 30 minutes longer.

Discard the cooked thyme sprigs. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze “meat” out of cloves; combine with parsnips, shallots and pan drippings in food processor or blender. Add 1 cup stock; puree until smooth.

Place mixture in a large saucepan, stir in 2 cups stock plus remaining ½ cup wine. Chop remaining sprigs of thyme and stir into soup. Bring to a low simmer and cook gently 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in half-and-half, if desired. Thin the soup as desired with additional stock. Cook gently 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Bernadette and Peter Seely of Springdale Farm shared this recipe from tastykitchen.com, originally from The Farmer’s Wife blog.  It is something they can make year-round but particularly to make good use of winter produce. 

Roasted Carrots, Potatoes and Onions

Recipe tested by Nancy Stohs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 2 pounds carrots
• 6 whole potatoes, skin on
• 1 whole sweet onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Peel carrots and cut into bite-size pieces. Dice potatoes into bite-size pieces. Cut the onion into eighths. Mince the garlic.

Combine carrots, potatoes and onion in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables, then add garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss until vegetables are well coated in oil and seasonings.

Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer and cover with aluminum foil. Roast in preheated oven 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue roasting another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When vegetables are tender and golden brown, remove from oven. 

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Rick Slager sent this vegetarian recipe from Bon Appetit, which inspired one of the most popular meal kits from his CSA farm, Produce with Purpose. 

Mushroom, Leek and Fontina Frittata

Recipe tested by Kristine M. Kierzek

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 2 medium leeks, whites and pale green parts only, chopped
• 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¾ cup shredded fontina cheese (divided)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Place a rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened and all liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, creme fraiche and parsley in a large bowl. Mix in ½ cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 

Increase heat to medium-high and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms, shaking pan to evenly distribute mixture. Cook frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheese over eggs and transfer skillet to oven. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set, 25 to 35 minutes. 

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Rick Slager of Produce with Purpose said this recipe from Taste of Home, inspired one of their most popular meal kits. 

Warm Beet Salad

Makes 6 servings

• 8 whole fresh beets
• 1 ½ cups orange juice
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach
• 3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scrub beets and cut into wedges; place on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil spray. Lightly coat beets with additional spray. Bake in preheated oven 40 to 50 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.

To make dressing, place orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat. Whisk in shallot, oil, vinegar, thyme, orange peel, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 

Place arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with ¼ cup dressing and toss to coat. To serve, divide mixture among six salad plates. Place beets in the same bowl used for the arugula, then add remaining dressing and toss to coat. Arrange on plates. Sprinkle salads with blue cheese and hazelnuts, if desired.

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Wisconsin native Joshua McFadden created this dish by accident while working on a farm. “I was making dinner and realized I didn’t have enough fennel for the dish I had planned to make,” he writes in his book “Six Seasons” (Artisan, 2017). “But I had apples, and so in they went. It has been a go-to recipe ever since.”

Roasted Fennel with Apples, Taleggio Cheese, and Almonds

Makes 6 servings

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ pound fennel sausage (or ½ pound mild Italian sausage plus ½ teaspoon fennel seeds), bulk or with casings removed
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
• 1 ½ pounds fennel (2 medium bulbs), stalks and root end trimmed, cut lengthwise into eighths
• 1 large apple (8 ounces), such as Braeburn or Fuji, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• ½ cup almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 6 ounces Taleggio cheese, rind trimmed off and torn into little bits (this cheese is too soft to actually grate)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, then add sausage (if using mild Italian, add fennel seeds, too). Cook until it’s no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking it up with your tongs or a spoon so it’s in pieces about the size of popcorn. Scoop it out of the pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add 1 tablespoon oil and the smashed garlic, and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown — but not burnt — about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and toast another few seconds, then add sliced fennel.

Pour 1/3 cup water into pan and cover it, adjusting heat so the fennel steams and simmers. Check fennel every few minutes, adding a bit more water when te first amount has evaporated.

Continue cooking like this until fennel is about three-quarters of the way cooked through and is getting tender but not super-soft, about 10 minutes. If there’s any remaining water when fennel is cooked, increase heat to evaporate it quickly.

Return sausage to pan and add apples, almonds, thyme and half the Taleggio. Toss and then season generously with salt and black pepper.

Pile this into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, top with remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs, and dot with the butter. Bake in preheated oven until ingredients are hot all the way through and cheese is melting and starting to sizzle, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let casserole rest about 5 minutes and then serve hot.