Farm Share
CT NOFA’s Farm Share Program reduces the cost of a local CSA (community supported agriculture) share for individuals in need of financial assistance, while ensuring farmers are fully paid. A CSA is a subscription (usually weekly) from a farm for a regular supply of farm-fresh veggies, dairy products, meats, bread, and more.
Join a Reduced Cost CSA Program
If you are a Connecticut resident who is interested in a reduced cost CSA share, please find and contact a farm near you from the list of participating farms, below.
Participating Farms in 2023
Farmers: Become a Participating Farm
CT NOFA’s Farm Share Program reduces the cost of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares - also known as farm shares - for Connecticut residents in need of financial assistance. The program especially benefits children, families, and seniors by connecting residents with local and organic farms to provide a season’s worth of local farm fresh products at a reduced cost.
How it Works
- CT NOFA provides funds for up to 50% of each farm share during the summer season, paid directly to you.
- Eligible Farm Share program recipients pay up to 50% of the total farm share cost upon program acceptance. Payment is made directly to the farm.
- Participating Farms: We encourage you to fundraise to help subsidize the cost of the share(s) offered. We ask you to commit to at least one or two fundraising practices to support a portion of the share cost. We provide farms a custom fundraising link to promote on their website and through social media.
Farm Responsibilities
- Promote the program: Communicate the program to your existing community and current members who may benefit from the program, and share with them the program application. Promotional materials and templates will be sent to participating farms before the application opens.
- Fundraise: CSA farmers fundraise for a portion of the share cost. (Scroll further down this page for strategies.) Note: If your farm is unable to fundraise, but still wishes to participate, we will work with you to figure out the best cost share breakdown.
- Communicate with CT NOFA: This program is a collaboration between community members, farmers, and CT NOFA. Please be aware that we rely on you to communicate with us through email or phone about important information – including responding to whether you can accept applicants at the beginning of the season, notifying us if you cannot support any more shares, and confirming that participants have been receiving shares. If we are unable to get in touch with you in a timely manner, this may limit the number of Farm Share participants that can enjoy your food, or may delay your reimbursement.
- Collect share payments: Farms arrange payment directly with the Farm Share participant for their discounted share cost.
Participating Farm Toolkit
Farm Share Participant Recruitment
We recommend that you encourage your existing members and other community partners to refer potential applicants. You may already know residents who could benefit from a reduced CSA share.
Many Farm Share participants appreciate flexibility in paying for their shares. Consider whether you are able to set up payment plans with folks to spread out their share cost. If your farm is authorized to accept SNAP/EBT as a form of payment, make sure that participants know this is an option.
Fundraising
Participating farmers are expected to commit to at least one or two fundraising practices each season. Raising funds from your members and community helps to build a stronger community network within your CSA and allows more Connecticut residents to access farm-fresh food, regardless of their financial status.
Here are some strategies farms have found successful in raising funds to support shares:
- You can introduce your CSA members to the Farm Share Program by including information in your CSA publicity materials.
- You can link to the CT NOFA donation page, or the fundraising link provided to you on your own website. Example language:
"If you are in need of financial assistance, please ask us about the Farm Share Program. You may be eligible for a partially subsidized share.”
“Would you like to contribute to the CT NOFA Farm Share Program to help low-income households in our community join the farm? For donations to be tax deductible, make checks payable to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (NOFA-CT) and write our farm name in the check memo.”
Promotional Resources
Questions about the program?
Contact our staff at (203) 408-6819 or sherlene@ctnofa.org.
