A weekly farm subscription connects you to the land and enlivens your menus all the way into fall.
If you keep missing the farm memberships known as CSAs year after year, here’s why: You have to do it now, long before the warming sun and greening trees put you in mind of farm-fresh produce. Consider yourself reminded!
For those who need a refresher, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a model of local agriculture in which eaters pay at the beginning of the growing season, then get a weekly share of the harvest. It smooths out farmers’ income and gives members the freshest local produce, grown by people they can come to know. Each CSA operation chooses its own financial model, mix of farm-grown and add-on foods it offers, and on-farm events it hosts, so each CSA is a unique membership and community experience.
The Morgantown area has some well-established CSAs. We tracked the information down for several. Happy harvest!
Backbone Food Farm
Oakland, Maryland
Established in 1999 by Katharine and Max Dubansky, Backbone Food Farm has long been a staple at the Morgantown Farmers Market. It follows a “free choice” CSA model in which members add funds to a Free Choice Card, then spend them down through the season on items of their choice.
Season About 25 weeks, mid-May–early November.
Cost Buy in for $400 or in $50 increments over that using PayPal, Venmo, or any credit card.
What’s included Member choice of seasonal products including produce, mushrooms, berries and rhubarb, pasture-raised meats, CBD hemp products, and cut flowers.
Drop-off points Shop on-site or pick up pre-orders in specific time slots at the Saturday Morgantown Farmers Markets, Wednesdays and Saturdays at the farmers market in Oakland, and Thursdays on Front Street in Thomas. Pre-orders only: Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings at the farm and Thursday mornings at Big John’s Family Fixin’s in Davis.
Also CSA members can pre-order for quick pickup at any of the drop-off points. For funds added to the card through May 1, Backbone will add 10% more to the total. Add $50 to the card any time through the season. CSA members receive 15% off farm events and purchases from the farm’s Saturday Market Burger Stand in Oakland.
Mountain Harvest Farm
Goshen Road
Also familiar from the Morgantown Farmers Market, Mary Oldham and Francisco “Chico” Ramirez created Mountain Harvest Farm in 2012 on the site of the former Owl Creek Farm. Their CSA offers a “farmers’ pick” box each week that can then be customized with other items from the week’s harvest and with add-ons.
Season 20 weeks, early June–mid-October.
Cost $320 for a half share of 6 to 10 items delivered every other week, $430 for a light share of 3 to 5 items weekly, or $575 for a full share of 6 to 10 items weekly.
What’s included The range of market vegetables—see website for more detail—with the flexibility to make adjustments within each week’s harvest.
Drop-off points Various Tuesday and Friday time slots at the farm on Goshen Road south of town, on University Avenue across from Zen Clay, and at Southern States Cooperative in Sabraton.
Also CSA members have the option to add on locally produced mushrooms, honey, maple syrup, eggs, and meats and FIRSTHAND fair-trade coffee.
Round Right Farm
Cranesville / Terra Alta
Started by Sunshine and Stephen Vortigen in 2006, Round Right Farm is now run by Chef Ed. CSA sign-ups start in February. Beyond seasonal produce, it offers many meats and other add-ons, multiple drop-off points across town, and home delivery to some Morgantown neighborhoods.
Season 24 weeks, June 6 through November 14.
Cost $1,320 for a Large Veggie Box of six to 10 items per week in 2024. The 2023 season also offered a Small Veggie Box option—see website for 2024 details as they are posted this month.
What’s included Seasonal vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Drop-off points Thursdays at BlissBlissBliss, Inner Life Yoga Studio, Phoenix Bakery, and Terra Cafe in town, at St. Luke’s Church in Cheat Lake, at Pizza Pro in Bruceton Mills, and The Lodge at Alpine Lake in Terra Alta, plus some Maryland drop-off points. Home delivery to some addresses is possible for a small additional fee.
Also Produced locally by natural methods and available a la carte are eggs, beef, pork, and poultry as well as microgreens, honey, maple syrup, mushrooms, cheeses, hemp and CBD products, herbal tinctures and teas, cold-pressed juices, and more.
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