Winter, especially this one, is long and hard and cold. If you are craving sunlight and farm fresh fruits and vegetables than dig into this. Our guide to Lake County CSA’s will have you thinking spring and planning all the delicious fresh meals you will be making.
First off you may be wondering, what is a CSA?
CSA = Community-Supported Agriculture
It’s a system that connects the consumer (you) to the producer (farmers) that provides and investment in your health, community and local economy. You purchase a “share” from your selected farm and in exchange you get a box (bag or basket) of seasonal produce (or meat and eggs) on the agreed upon time frame for the growing season. It’s a great way to support farmers and supplement your local trips to the farmers market.
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Lake County CSA’s
Lake County CSA’s with Pick-ups:
Angelic Organics
Offers: Full vegetable share (20 deliveries) weekly, half vegetable share (10 deliveries) every other week. Also, offer extended season shares.
Pick-up l
Genesis Growers
Offers: seasonal Vegetables rounded out with in-season fruits and herbs. Large (4-5 people) and Medium (2-3 people) shares offered in Spring Share – 4 boxes over 8 weeks, Summer share – 21 weeks delivered weekly, Fall share – 6 weeks plus 1 storage box. They also offer Egg shares – weekly or Bi-weekly and chicken shares – 2 per month.
Pick-up location: Highland Park,
Geneva Lakes Produce
Offers: Half and full shares picked up weekly. Members fill their own box by choosing from a full selection of fresh, high quality, homegrown produce.
Pick up locations: Grayslake Farmers Market, Buffalo Grove Farmers Market
Hidden Hive Flowers
Offers: Bi-weekly hand-tied flower arrangements June through September
Pick-up location: Barrington
Joe’s Blues
Offer: Fresh, naturally grown, pesticide-free blueberries. Available as 5 lbs a week for 2 weeks or 10lbs a week for 2 weeks. Limited home delivery available.
Pick-up location: Lincolnshire
Nichols Farm
Offers: standard fruit and veggie share (22 weeks) Chef premium share (22 weeks), half fruit and vegetable share (11 weeks), Fall share (7 weeks)
Pick-up locations: Glencoe, Barrington, Lake Bluff, home delivery
Prairie Wind Family Farm
Offers: Spring, early summer, summer, late summer, and fall vegetable shares, egg shares, early summer, summer, later summer fruit, winter egg, and vegetable shares
Pick-up locations: Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Grayslake, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Northbrook/Highland Park, Vernon Hills
Living Hope Farm
Offers: Weekly in-season Non-GMO, naturally grown, “Transitional Organic”, for 13 weeks. Full & Half-shares available. Add-ons of chicken, honey and wheatgrass available.
Pick-up Location: Winthrop Harbor
Wild Roots Farm
Offers: Full, half and sample shares of organic vegetables.
Pick-up locations: Buffalo Grove, limited home delivery
Earth First Farms
Offers: Organic apple CSA with 5 lbs of apples every other week.
Pick-up Locations: Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Highland Park
CSA’s with Home Delivery to Lake County:
Nichols Farm
Offers: standard fruit and veggie share (22 weeks) Chef premium share (22 weeks), half fruit and vegetable share (11 weeks), Fall share (7 weeks)
Angelic Organics
Offers: Full vegetable share (20 deliveries) weekly, half vegetable share (10 deliveries) every other week. Also, offer extended season shares.
Delivery Availability: zip codes within 45 miles of Chicgao, check here
Dierks Farms
Offers: All natural grass fed, grass finished beef. No antibiotics, no steroids, and no grain. Types of CSA offered: Ground Beef, Steak, Grillers, Feast, 4 roast monthly subscription, oaxtail, liver bundle, and club buys with various cuts of meat.
Delivered to your home once, or monthly.
Wild Roots Farm
Offers: Full, half and sample shares of organic vegetables.
Limited home delivery to the Lake County area.
Joe’s Blues
Offers: Fresh, naturally grown, pesticide-free blueberries. 12-pint case delivered to your door.
Mint Creek Farm
Offers Grass-fed meats raised on certified organic pastures. Choose a weekly or monthly CSA of meat and eggs
TimberFeast
Offers rotationally grazed pasture chicken, rotationally grazed pastured pork, 100% grass-fed beef, 10% grass-fed lamb, rotationally grazed pastured turkey, pastured eggs.
Home deliver available for orders over $75
Tomato Mountain
Offers: Spring and Summer vegetable and egg shares.
Home Delivery available to limited areas in Lake County
Lake Forest Farms
Offers: Fresh, live trays of microgreens delivered to your door with free delivery in the North/North-West Suburbs, $5 delivery fee outside that area. Orders are grown when placed so first delivery takes 8-10 days.
Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks
Offers: Various sizes of produce, dairy, eggs, and meat.
Delivery available to most of the Lake County area, you just need to confirm on their website.
When Choosing your CSA:
- Location: Make sure you choose one that you will be willing to drive to as it will have to be the same one every week.
- Variety: Do you want organic? Fruits and vegetables or just vegetables? Do you want meat cheese and eggs too?
- Be realistic – midwest growing season can be unpredictable. Most run June through October but be prepared to supplement with trips to the market.
Are you a CSA member? Did we miss yours? Tells us about it in the comments!
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