Become A Member Of The Brooklyn Bridge CSA And Share In The 2015 Summer Growing Season

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Sang Lee Farm, Peconic, New York

produce from Sang Lee Farm

(photos courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge CSA)

The Brooklyn Bridge Community-Supported Agriculture community is gearing up for the 2015 summer growing season and is currently looking for new members who would like to participate by buying a farm share or half-share. The distribution center is located at First Presbyterian Church, 124 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights and will take place every Wednesday from 5 pm to 8 pm starting in June.

Vegetables are grown on Sang Lee Farms , a family owned and operated organic farm in Peconic on the North Fork of Long Island. Fruit is sourced from Briermere Farms in Riverdale, Long Island. There is also a cheese share and, new for 2015, a preserved food share.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Joelle Berman, a member of Brooklyn Bridge CSA. She explained that BBCSA was established back in 2010 with the core mission "to find innovative ways to enable ANYONE in our Brooklyn community to have access to local, fresh food, regardless of their income. We've dreamed up all kinds of creative ways to make this happen, and it's resulted in an amazing partnership with the Crown Heights CSA, among others."

The Community-Supported Agriculture model has become more and more popular in the past few years. It is a mutually beneficial partnership between members of a CSA and farmers like Fred and Karen Lee of Sang Lee Farms. It provide the farmer with income at the beginning of a growing season and helps him absorb some of the risk.  The farmer repays the trust by providing his seasonal produce to a distribution center where the CSA members can pick it up.
The benefit to all is healthier, fresher vegetables and fruits at much better prices.

The deadline to join the Brooklyn Bridge CSA is the end of April. All information on membership can be found here.

Follow Brooklyn Bridge CSA on Facebook here.