Sign up is opening now for returning Apple Share CSA members! Return members always get first dibs, then folks on our wait list...then, if any shares remain, we open to the general public.
What is an Apple Share?
Our Apple Share CSA is a way to connect deeper to your food source and support you local farmer, while getting the BEST Organic and local apples at the best price of the season. Our members routinely tell us the flavor of store apples just does not compare.
Each week enjoy a 4 lb bag of fresh & local apples, for 6 or 8 weeks. Each bag sports 1-2 varieties of our organic apples. A mix of standard, lesser known and old heritage types. We'll send out a short weekly newsletter weekly.
Apple Shares are a core part of our farm! This will be our 11th season!!! Last year we served about 75 Apple Share members.
The 2023 Season
Despite an interesting winter. and the boatload of rabbit damage we incurred at the home orchard, we are seeing a good amount of apples on the trees. We are also seeing increased pest pressure this season. A new pest at the Lake Crystal orchard, in larger volume. For this reason we are going to open fewer shares to begin with this season. With how dry it has been this year we expect that apples may not fully size up, as with our 2021 crop. Flip side, crops that are stressed tend to put out more sugars and antioxidants as defense! Building flavor and nutrition (and higher ABV in our hard cider)!
We continue to partner with Cedar Crate Farm for their Apple Share add-on to their CSA, as well as Nature's Pantry Farm for an apple share pick up location. This year Straight Up Outside farm will also be a pick up location option (provided we get enough shares for that spot). We love that our Apple Share program gives us an opportunity to build community - direct with our members and our farmer friends!
Other Notes
Regarding other farm fruits...Apple Share members get first dibs on other Fruit Shares that may come up. We see this as a future part of the farm, when more fruits mature with more dependable harvests. In 2021 we were able to offer Plum Shares!
Raspberries - large crop loss, due to rabbits, harvest will be available at the farm store.
Blackberries - first year in more abundance
Plums - looking like a decent crop
Rhubarb - season has ended
Pears - future crop, maybe a small amount at the farm store
Apricots - looking like our first crop this year!
Elderberries - looking like a decent year! Small season.
We have young pear trees, more plums trees, 50 more blackberries, 60 new raspberries (will double the patch) and 50 new rhubarb plants that will have the farm bursting at the seams with more bounty in future years. Plus, 5 cherry trees, but those may just be personal (and cider) trees.
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