CommunitySupported Agriculture
Featuring four local farms in Nevada County:
Feeding Crane Farm
Bluebird Farm
Starbright Acres Farm
First Rain Farm
When you purchase a share in our community supported agriculture program (CSA) you are supporting your farmers by providing up front capital for the start of the season. As your farmers, we then provide you with a seasonally changing box of the freshest produce each week! Learn more about each of the participating farms below. To read more about First Rain Farm, click on the "Our Story" tab at the top of the page.
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When you become a member of our Collaborative CSA, you gain access to our unique gourmet add-on options of flower bouquets, microgreens, bread, mushrooms and canned goods! You also receive weekly e-newsletters that share stories from the farm, updates, and curated recipes using produce from that week's box. We also will have regular pop-up sales of eggs and other goodies at your pick up sites. This is not your average CSA share!
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This year we are offering two CSA box sizes for you to choose from. Our regular box is a beautiful variety of seasonal staple items (like salad greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions), choice fruit, and specialty items (like asparagus, tomatillos, and habanada snacking peppers) for you to play with in the kitchen. Our small box is a subset of our regular box that focuses on staple items for everyday cooking and eating.
An example of a regular box
CSA Details
Duration: June 5th-October 23rd 2024 (21 weeks)
Cost: Regular box: $672 ($32/week)
Small box: $525 ($25/week)
Pick-up: Wednesdays between 3:30-7pm
Contents: Over the course of the season you will receive over 40 different produce varieties, including fruit!
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Pick-up Options
1. First Rain Farm: 19832 Rector Rd, Nevada City
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2. Starbright Acres Farm: 12575 Polaris Dr, Grass Valley
Add-on Offerings
Summer Flower Share: July-Sept (12 weeks) $303
Sunflower Share: July-Sept (12 weeks) $184
Microgreens: June-Oct (21 weeks) $159
Mushrooms: June-Oct (21 weeks) $105
Country Sourdough: June-Oct (21 weeks) $189
Baker's Choice Sourdough: June-Oct (21 weeks) $231
Canned Goods: June-Oct (5 months) $200
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How to Sign Up
Signing up is a two part process.
1. Fill out and submit the CSA Sign-up form below with your name, phone number, email, and desired pick up location.
2. Scroll down and select the items you want in your cart. Make sure you sign up for the correct CSA box (regular or small) and all the add-ons you want (there are multiple bread, flower, and microgreens offerings!) Go to checkout and fill in your information, review your order and then click "Place Order and Pay." Note: you will not pay during checkout. That will happen once you receive your Quickbooks invoice.
Once we receive your CSA registration form and your cart, we will send you an invoice through Quickbooks within a few days.
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Your subscription(s) will not be secure until payment is complete.
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Payment Options
You may pay on Quickbooks (our preferred method), by check, or cash (drop off at the farm).
*Please note that if you would like to pay with debit/credit there will be a processing fee added to your order. You must request this option directly.
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If you are in a financial position that makes it difficult to pay all at once, please reach out to us about a payment plan. Email info.firstrainfarm@gmail.com for more information
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Select your CSA box and Add-on items:
Find out more about the farms and add-ons below
Feeding Crane Farm is operated by Antonio Garza, Daylin Wade, and a fabulous crew of hardworking folks who really make the magic happen. Antonio and Daylin are starting their 9th season of farming in Nevada County. Feeding Crane Farm is located at the base of Pilot Peak in Penn Valley on land that has been farmed organically for many years. We strive to grow our produce in a manner that maximizes nutrition for people while improving the health of the ecosystem in which we farm and providing a secure livelihood for ourselves and the people who work with us. We use an evolving array of organic practices to build soil, increase productivity, and increase the nutrient density of our produce.
We farm around 10 acres of a diverse mix of seasonal vegetables for the Collaborative CSA, Nevada City Saturday Farmers Market, Briar Patch and other local outlets. Among other items you will receive plentiful summer squash, juicy melons, succulent sweet corn, hearty winter squash, and sun-ripened tomatoes from us over the course of the CSA season. If our produce blows your mind you can always find more of that particular item at the Nevada City Farmers Market!
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Bluebird Farm specializes in high quality, nutrient dense, greens, culinary herbs, microgreens, fresh seasonal flowers and floral design. They are dedicated to using sustainable growing methods
to enhance the health of our land, build rich soil and provide the most delicious and beautiful food and flowers possible. Their veggies are certified organic by CCOF! Bluebird Farm is owned and operated by Malaika Bishop. Malaika has been active in the local farming and food movement for
over a decade and many of you might know her from her involvement with Sierra Harvest. Malaika is managing two farm locations, one on Cement Hill Road at the Jacobson Dude Ranch and the other at the former John Woolman School off Newtown Road. Bluebird Farm will be contributing regular salad offerings for the CSA as well as an assortment of other crops.
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In addition to vegetables, Bluebird Farm is offering three add-on options: Summer Flowers, Sunflowers and Microgreens.
Summer Flowers:
Treat yourself or a loved one to a generous weekly bouquet of flowers during the summer months.
Flower share members will receive the best of what is in season from the 150 unique varieties of flowers growing in our ½ acre field; dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, snap dragons, marigolds, mums, lisianthus and so much more.
$303 for 12 weeks (tax included)
Sunflower Share:
Get a fresh bunch of stunning sunnies every week for 12 weeks. The share includes your traditional sunflowers and some special varieties you have
probably never seen before procured from a hard-to-get specialty sunflower breeding programs!
$184 for 12 weeks (tax included)
Microgreens Share:
We specialize in growing 4 varieties of nutrient-dense microgreens. Proven by research To have tons of potential health benefits including:
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Boosts your immune system
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Lowers inflammation
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Can help contribute to weight loss
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Can help reduce the risk of various chronic diseases
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Improves gut health
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Their vitamin and antioxidants levels are up to 40X higher than most mature greens
Sign up to get a weekly clamshell of delicious nutrient-dense microgreens! Your options are:
- Broccoli (light, juicy and delicately flavored packing a nutritional punch)
- Sunflower shoots (substantial, crunchy, nutty and delicious)
- Pea shoots (sweet, crunchy, mild)
- Crunchy micro mix (sunflower, pea and purple radish mix)
$159 for 21 weeks
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Pick up your flowers and microgreens Wednesdays with your veggie box at First Rain Farm or Starbright Acres Farm.
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Starbright Acres Family Farm produces certified organic nutritious, delicious, planet friendly food for our local community. Ken & Aleta Barrett and their two children founded Starbright Acres Family Farm in 2010 with the concept of growing a commercially and financially viable quantity of produce in a semi-urban setting. They now sell over $100,000 of certified organic produce per acre in cultivation. 90% is sold within 10 miles of the farm. Starbright Farm also supports our local food network by hosting field trips, getting involved with local schools & agricultural programs, selling vegetable starts, and sharing farming knowledge with community members. Nutritious, delicious, planet friendly food - Eat right at Starbright!
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Starbright also has a year-round farm store stocked with all sorts of goodies beyond what the CSA offers, including organic vegetable and flower starts in the Spring. If you choose Starbright as your pick up location, you get the added perk of perusing their store and bolstering your box with extra produce. A one stop shop!
Add-on Offerings
We are thrilled to be partnering with these fellow local food purveyors to provide even more nourishment in your weekly box!
Grass Valley Mushrooms
Deer Creek Bakehouse
Sun & Cellar
Bluebird Farm Microgreens and Flowers
Sign up for add-on subscriptions to these delectable offerings and pick them up with your veggie box- so easy! Read more about these options below.
Grass Valley Mushrooms
Enhance your veggie-filled meals with Grass Valley Mushrooms' seasonally scrumptious mushrooms! Each week you will receive a bag of a rotating variety of cultivated mushrooms to play with in the kitchen. You may find in your bag: lion's mane, oyster varieties (blue pearl, black pearl, trumpet royal) chestnut, shiitake or other seasonal selections. Perfect for families looking to incorporate more fungi into their meals or for mushroom-loving individuals!
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Now under their new business "Grass Valley Mushrooms", Dylan and his team have been cultivating gourmet mushrooms in Nevada County for over 4 years. They are so excited to partner with the Collaborative CSA again to continue providiving delicious medicinal mushrooms to this community.
Feel free to email them at info@grassvalleymushrooms.com or follow them on Instagram @grassvalley_mushrooms to learn more!
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$105 for 21 week season ($5/week)
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Deer Creek Bakehouse
At their Grass Valley sourdough micro-bakery, every loaf is hand-made using a naturally fermented leaven and only organic flours. As much as possible they source their grains locally, and strive to include only organic ingredients in their rotating breads. Choose between their signature rustic Sourdough Country loaf, or the weekly rotating Baker’s Choice specialty breads. Or both- these delicious fresh-baked loaves go quick! The specialty breads will include but are not limited to: rosemary & lemon, olives & herbs, miso & sesame whole wheat, and cinnamon raisin. Bread subscriptions last for 21 weeks.
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$189 for Country Sourdough ($9/week)
$231 for Baker’s Choice ($11/week)
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Limited spots available- don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!
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Photo: Bryce Winsor (@btwphotography)
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Sun & Cellar
Josh Rickett runs a full-scale cannery that specializes in preserving California heirloom produce. He prioritizes sourcing from Nevada County farms (like the ones in this CSA) to help build a thriving local food system. Using all organic ingredients, he showcases produce through traditional methods of preservation including pickles, ferments, jams, preserves and much more! Sign up for a monthly box of his flavor-packed preserved goods and enjoy local flavors from all the seasons! Boxes are different each month and contain a curated assortment of four preserves; a sample box looking like:
Meyer Lemon Curd
Bread n Butter Pickles
Fire-roasted Tomato Salsa
Dilly Beans
Subscribe to elevate your plate!
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$200 for 5 months ($40/month)
More Perks!
Our CSA members now have exclusive access to local eggs and grass-fed beef! This year we are expanding our collaborative efforts into poultry farming and cattle ranching to provide our members with high-quality, ethically-raised animal nourishment. Read more about these woman-owned small businesses below.
Jackie's Eggs
Yuba Valley Ranch
Please note these offerings are not part of our add-on subscriptions but individual sales. Eggs will be available at pick up sites first come first serve and beef will be pre-ordered sales available a few times over the course of the CSA season.
Jackie's Eggs
Jackie Johnson is a beloved veteran farm hand at Bluebird Farm and is now broadening her agriculture pursuits into poultry farming. She is expanding her flock of laying hens to meet the anticipated demand for farm-fresh eggs from our members this year. She is renovating a 150 sq ft coop at the Jacobson's Dude Ranch in Nevada City to establish a forever home for her hens. The ladies will have access to pasture sown with Peaceful Valley foraging mix and their diet is supplemented with organic corn and soy free feed milled in CA. Jackie deeply cares about keeping her inputs local, combating the trend of mass transportation of resources in most egg productions, including organic eggs found in the grocery store.
Her flock consists of over 10 breeds of hens, ensuring a colorful dozen for our CSA members, Jackie's eggs will be available as a regular pop-up sale at both of our pick up sites. Eggs will be first come first serve- and we think they'll go quick! Our community seriously needs more quality local egg producers and we are EGGstatic that Jackie has answered the call to action!
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Yuba Valley Ranch
Yuba Valley Ranch is a small, family owned & operated cattle ranch raising the finest grass fed & finished beef in Nevada & Yuba County.
Meighan and her family raise all of the beef they sell from birth and provide personal oversight to every aspect of their operation. Decades of breeding have provided Yuba Valley Ranch with a strong herd of cattle that flourish and finish on grasses & forage native to Nevada County. They approach their ranching the old fashioned way; through careful monitoring and preventative measures. You can rest assured that when we say no antibiotics, hormones, grain, or feed lots, we mean it! They partner with local, master craftsmen for the butchering process to ensure you’re getting the best cuts possible.
We are delighted to offer two beef packages to our CSA members:
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Four one pound packages of their premium, grass finished ground beef. All of their ground beef is produced from the trim of only two animals at a time. No pink goo, no fillers. You will taste the difference!
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A box of our favorite, hand picked premium steaks, roasts, and convenience cuts such as fajita & kabob meat. Due to the nature of grass finishing cattle you’ll be getting the best of the seasonal offerings! You’re gonna love it!
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