8 January 2016 2016 Bracco Farms CSA Program

2016 Bracco Farms CSA Program

January 8, 2016 By
Kitten Drooling Over my CSA Box

Kitten Drooling Over my CSA Box

It’s the New Year and most folks are looking for ways to eat healthier in 2016. A great way to help with this is to sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

The basic idea of a CSA is that a farmer grows for a group of members who have purchased “shares” in the harvest. Members pay at the beginning of the season, when the farmer needs the money most for seeds and planting materials and tools. When the crops start coming in June, the farmer delivers a weekly (or bi-weekly as is the case with Bracco Farms) assortment of vegetables, herbs and some fruit. This isn’t a co-op, there aren’t wholesalers or distributors. All of your food dollars go to the person who is growing it.

I joined the Bracco CSA in 2014 and what I’ve enjoyed the most:

  • Healthy products I know are good for me.
  • Variety of products that pushed me to try new recipes and new preparations.
  • Surprises in my box every time I picked up – new things as the seasoned progressed.
  • Restaurant-cool things like edible flowers and micro greens.

New for 2016:

  • Larger shares
  • More variety including many gourmet and heirloom produce items
  • Artisan bread as an optional add-on

A few facts about the Bracco Farms CSA Program:

  • Bracco Farms only sells what it grows.
  • Bracco Farms only uses Non-GMO seed from safe-seed pledge sources.
  • Bracco Farms never uses herbicides (weed killer) or pesticides.
  • Bracco Farms doesn’t use any type of fungicide, insecticide or any other type of chemical.
  • Bracco Farms doesn’t use any type of fertilizer, nor any type of artificial irrigation, nor any type of tomato hormone.
  • Bracco Farms hand-cultivates its wonderful weeds!
  • Bracco Farms never supplements its CSA with outside produce.

Get to know your farmer (a trip up to Pine Island, NY is a complete must!) and support sustainable, local agriculture.  

If you want to experience the organically-grown, beautiful produce grown at Bracco at your homes, sign up TODAY.

Cheers,

Veronique

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21 May 2014 Bracco Farms CSA Program – Say Yes to Organic and No to GMO

Bracco Farms CSA Program – Say Yes to Organic and No to GMO

May 21, 2014 By
Anthony Bracco

Anthony Bracco

At a farm-to-table dinner at Escape Montclair late in 2013, I was fortunate to meet and spend time with Anthony Bracco, Owner of Bracco Farms in Pine Island, NY. While Anthony helped explain the variety of produce used in the 5-course dinner, I learned that his produce is organic, is never grown from GMO seeds and never gets treated with commercial pesticide or herbicide. I also learned that Bracco Farms offers farm-fresh vegetables through a Community Supported Agriculture program.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a concept where a farmer grows for a members who have purchased “shares” in the farmer’s harvest. Members prepay at the start of the season when the farmer needs money for harvest purchases like seeds and other materials. Weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of vegetables, herbs and fruit are made by the farmer as crops start coming in, typically in June.

Bracco Farms Field

Bracco Farms Field

Not only do members benefit from having freshly-picked organic produce at reasonable prices all season, they help support sustainable local agriculture also.

The Bracco Farms CSA will run from June 3, 2014 until November 4, 2014 with a bi-weekly pick-up in Cedar Grove every other Tuesday between 4pm and 8pm. The deadline to sign up is May 31, 2014 but clients can sign up after the start of the deliveries at a pro-rated price.

The cost of a full share is $550.00 and is enough vegetables for four people.

The cost of a half share is $300.00 and is enough for two people.

“We have many new varieties of produce this year among them are leeks, three varieties of onions, red choi, radicchio, celery, broccoli and broccoli rabe, red cabbage, purple snow peas, a new variety of sweet corn, yellow and purple string beans, four new varieties of radishes, more varieties of heirloom tomatoes including “Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter”. I’m also excited to have five varieties of beets, edible flowers and watermelons – as always started from non-GMO organic seeds. We are also expanding our herb selection to include chervil, dill and fennel in addition to our basil, cilantro and parsley,” said Anthony Bracco during a recent interview.

Bracco Farms CSA Box

Bracco Farms CSA Box

Typical early season offering: peas, kale, arugula, spinach, lettuce, escarole, turnips, parsnips cilantro, basil, dill, parsley and more.  

Typical late season offering: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, corn, onions, carrots, beans, beets and more.

View and print the 2014 Season CSA membership form.

For more information please visit the Bracco Farms CSA Page on Facebook.

CLICK THE ICON BELOW FOR A DENVILLE PICK UP CSA FORM

Full shares can also pick up at the Denville Meat Shop. A one time $25.00 site charge is also included. Click here for the Denville pick up form.

Enjoy the very best produce this summer.

Cheers,

Veronique

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