FarmShares is not your typical CSA. Capay Valley Farm Shop isn’t a single farm, rather a collaboration amongst farms and ranches in a special, unique place. Over the last two years, we’ve sought to build a service based on the values of Community Supported Agriculture: providing the freshest and tastiest seasonal produce; sharing in the benefits and risks of regional food systems; being transparent about the provenance of food; and building direct relationships between eaters and farmers. Over time, we believe these relationships will build more delicious diets for our members plus a trusting, stable foundation for a healthier future.

Turns out we’re not alone as there are many great examples of cooperative and multi-farm CSAs in a new publication, Local Harvest, available for download here.

Each week, we provide a mix of the best produce available from Capay Valley farms. We love that our members notice the differences in quality and flavor. Part of the reality of a regional food system is that the offerings change from week-to-week (if not day-to-day) — weather, pests and diseases and human management affect what is available and the harvest may include vegetables that are new to some members.

Last year, we worked with two dozen farms located in the Capay Valley region: farms that grow a diverse mix of fruits and vegetables; farms that specialize in a few products; farms that are medium or small in size; farms that are young; and farms that are well established. Our website also features farms from the Capay Valley that offer products that do not come in the regular mix: lavender, olive oil, honey, and more are all available from the farms in the region.

Some of the farms were recently started by young farmers who need the benefit of new markets that FarmShares can offer. Through your support, all of these farms receive a fair price for their products and member households get “food with a face on it.” * We believe that new farmers in the aging farmer demography are a critical component of the future availability of your fresh local food.

We appreciate it when you take the time to communicate questions and comments. From time to time, you may receive a squished strawberry, an oozing tomato or a frozen orange. There’s a complex story attached to each and every single piece of fruit. While we do our best, sometimes a fruit is picked over-ripe, was damaged inside, or a lettuce began to bolt from a single day of heat. On the whole, we hope you thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the harvest of farm and ranch products from the Capay Valley. Thank you for sharing in this journey to create new models for local food systems.

* “Food with a face on it” is the common translation of Teikei, a system in Japan where consumers purchase food direct from farmers.