About Rosasharn Farm CSA  

Rosasharn Farm is on 80 acres 10 miles east of Providence, RI in Rehoboth, MA. Started in 1986 by Anne Petersen, Rosasharn Farm's main focus was its nationally recognized herd of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats. In 2009 the farm expanded to include a small vegetable CSA. This transition was natural after years of family food growing experience. We are excited to continue and expand the CSA for its second year in 2010!

We farm using sustainable practices that increase soil health and combat weeds, pests, and disease without chemicals. We see our land not as a resource to be mined but as a way to grow food in a beneficial relationship between the land and ourselves. We farm because we love to. And we think we can grow a darn good tomato!

How it works

Before the season starts, shareholders pay the farm up front for a season's worth of produce. By paying in advance, shareholders give the farmer the capital to prepare for the coming season and show their commitment to the farm. In addition, shareholders commit themselves to picking up and eating, every week, the produce the farmer harvests throughout the season. This allows the farmer to focus less money and energy on marketing and more on land stewardship and efficient production.

Every week, members of the CSA will come to Rosasharn Farm in Rehoboth and pick up their share of harvest.

The produce

Our season begins in June and ends in December. Throughout the months we will offer a variety of produce, including:

What is CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a concept that started in the 1960s in Switzerland and Japan and has becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. throughout the last 30 years. The CSA model is, at its roots, a group of individuals who promise to support a farm in order to secure and preserve agricultural land that will provide them with desired food safety, optimal taste and nutrition, and a physical and/or spiritual connection to what they may come to view as 'their' land. The community and farmer support each other – the community invests in the farm by covering anticipated operational costs, helping on the farm, or contributing other skills beneficial to the farm; the farm provides a 'share' in the great harvests that come each season, a direct and transparent source of fresh produce, and the opportunity to reconnect to the land. The CSA method of supporting farms implies that 'members' understand and accept the risk of farming, especially in today's market, on a small, diversified scale. When conditions lead to a lower supply of a certain produce, members accept this. On the other hand, a bad year for one crop usually means a great year for another. The typical CSA grows a large variety of crops in order to protect itself from uncertainties in both growing and market conditions. The members of the CSA are provided with choice and a direct connection to seasonal appreciation of their food.