Description

Logistics & Details

20 member spots available:

• 10 paying members
• 10 community members (more information below on this option!)
  • 1-2 mornings a week, 4-5 hours of trade in exchange for a CSA share
  • more information below about participating in this option

What you receive as a member:

• 8-10 items each week
• Weekly newsletter w/ basic farm updates & at least one recipe idea
• 10% discount on other farm goods (eggs, flowers, hot sauce, seeds), available at Arbol Farmers Market
• Early access to future CSA programs (like a Late Fall / Early Winter CSA – stay tuned!)

CSA Program Length,  Investment, and Community Shares Information:

• Length & Dates
  • 18 weeks
  • First pickup: Tuesday, June 3rd
  • Final pickup: Tuesday, September 30th

• Investment:
  • $450 (this includes all taxes and fees)
    • Options to pay in full or payment plan (two payments, to be paid in full by the time CSA pickups begin)

• Participating in Community Shares:
  • 10 of the 20 total shares are reserved as “Community Shares.” This is an option for community members to receive full CSA shares each week via an exchange of volunteer work time on the farm. This is a great way to spend time with us in the fields and get fresh produce for you and your family.
  • A few more considerations if you are interested in a Community-Member Share. By signing up for a Community Share, you are agreeing to:
    • Work one half-day per week in trade for a full CSA Share
    • This volunteer season runs from 6/4/2025 – 10/3/2025.  Our workdays will generally be from 9 am – 1 pm, with a break in the middle. 
      • This will shift to a slightly earlier start time in the heat of the summer! 
    • We are looking for people who can commit to a consistent day each week*, and we ask that you attend 15-16 work days during the season (the season is 18 weeks long, so you have some flexibility for all of your summer plans).  
    • Days to choose between are Thursdays or Fridays.  
      • *We’d love for folks to be mostly regular with their day each week, but we also can be flexible when you need it – you can swap to a different day sometimes, or double up to get your days in if you need.
    • In trade for your time and dedication, we give you a full CSA share, in addition to the other CSA Member perks (weekly newsletter, farm stand discount). You will still pick up your share on Tuesdays at our CSA Pick-up at the Old River Road Trading Post (anytime after 1pm).  
    • While we love them, please leave kiddos and dogs at home.
    • We mostly will be weeding the garden and harvesting during the volunteer time.  Please be aware that the work requires squatting for extended periods of time, so you need your knees and back on board 😉 This is really important – please be honest with yourself and your physical ability.

Picking up your share each week:

• When? 
  •  Tuesdays, anytime after 1pm.
• Where? 
  • Old River Road Trading Post, 15495 Black Bridge Rd, Paonia, CO 81428 
• How?
  • Bring your own bag! Your share will be labeled with your name and ready to go.

Ready to sign up for your CSA Share?

This is a two step process! 

FIRST, fill out and submit the Regular Member registration form here to register for our CSA. Once we receive your form, we will then send you more information to pay for your. PLEASE NOTE: your share is not confirmed until we receive payment (either in full or via first payment if utilizing payment plan option).

If you wish to sign up for a Community (Volunteer) Share in trade for your CSA share, please click here to fill out the Community Share application instead. Thank you!

Questions? Reach out to megan@layinggroundwork.org

FAQ & Background Info 

• What is a CSA? Why might I be interested?
  • CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for a community to support  farmers. If a cold snap freezes fruit tree blossoms or squash bugs kill back  squash vines, the community has already agreed to eat what the land produces.  Members pay up front for a guarantee of weekly produce boxes throughout the  growing season. The contents of the produce boxes are decided by the farmer  based on what the harvest brings. 
  • The CSA model helps our farm and non-profit in two key ways: 
    • 1) Groundwork receives funding up front, allowing us to invest in seeds,  soil, compost, tools, and other expenses at the start of the season. 
    • 2) We have a guaranteed market for vegetables, letting us focus on growing high quality food and seeds. Regardless of which crops do well this year, there will be kitchens to cook them. 
• About Groundwork 
  • Groundwork is a Paonia-based environmental non-profit offering education at  the intersection of culture and environmental issues. It’s clear that technology  alone cannot solve our many interconnected environmental crises—we need a  shift in the ways we live at a deep level. Beyond just shifts in infrastructure, we need to reconceptualize what it means to be a human being in our world. We  offer immersive educational programs, publications, and curriculum consulting. 
• About our Food Systems Fellowship 
  • Groundwork’s farm in Paonia hosts a 7-month Food Systems Fellowship. The  program is a deep dive into food systems and sustainability, exploring and  experimenting with visions of what life might look like as we divest our culture  from industrial systems and move towards more localized, sustainable ways of  living. It’s part farm internship, part experiment in simple, place-based living, part academic exploration of the origins of modernity and theories of cultural  change. More information is on our website: www.layinggroundwork.org Your CSA membership helps make this all possible! Thanks for your support! 
• About Groundwork’s seed farm 
  • We grow lots of produce, but Groundwork’s farm also grows many seeds! Our main goal growing seed is to reconnect people with the multi-generational legacy that we depend on for our food, and to replace an extractive way of looking at food with a sense of stewardship and co-creation. We grow about 150 varieties of vegetables, flowers, beans, and grains focusing on flavor and adaptability for our harsh climate. You can find our seeds inside seed packets from a couple of Colorado seed companies, including High Desert Seed right here in Paonia! 
• Your box will contain 10-15% more produce than if you were to purchase from our Farmers’ Market stand
• Traveling? Let a friend have your share that week! Just let us know who will be picking up your share.