Spring is definitely in the air in Birmingham, and the warmer temps are hinting at the arrival of fresh greens, peas, onions, rhubarb, berries, and other springtime favorites. Luckily, many Alabama farms offer a Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA), which allows them to connect with locals by delivering produce to CSA members each week.
By subscribing to a CSA, you provide guaranteed revenue for farmers at the start of the season so they can focus on providing you with the freshest produce in return. You’ll get a weekly assortment of fruits and vegetables, with many CSAs offering additional items, including bread, eggs, flower bouquets, and more. Plus, many CSAs around the state offer special farm tours for members in addition to newsletters, recipes, and resources to ensure you make the most of your weekly bounty.
Here are six CSAs near Birmingham that will keep your kitchen stocked all season long!
Stone Hollow Farmstead | Harpersville, AL
More Info: stonehollowfarmstead.com
Located just outside Birmingham in Harpersville, Stone Hollow Farmstead is a family farm with a lot to offer. “Our farm is a haven for seasonal living, where we cultivate everything from cut flowers and herbs to farm-crafted skincare and culinary goods,” says co-owner Alexandra Stone, who runs the farm with her mother, Deborah.
In addition to fresh produce, the Stone Hollow CSA includes rainbow eggs from the farm, spring herbs, and artisan breads from Hinkel’s Bakery. You can also add a gorgeous flower bouquet to your weekly Harvest Box. They offer pickup on Tuesdays at FarmStand in Pepper Place, or you can have your box delivered right to your door.
Sign up for the spring 2024 CSA season by March 8th to get in on the goodness! You can sign up here.
Mountain Sun Farm | Mentone, AL
More Info: mountainsunfarm.com
Mountain Sun Farm is a certified organic family farm owned by Liz and Brian Simpson, situated on Lookout Mountain in Mentone, Alabama. Their passion for sustainable farming permeates everything they do, and they utilize environmentally conscious practices to prioritize ecological diversity while improving soil quality on the land. As 1% For the Planet members, they donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental nonprofits, including Coosa Riverkeeper and Black Warrior Riverkeeper.
Each week, the Mountain Sun CSA will bring you the freshest organic produce straight from the farm — from strawberries to watermelons to leafy greens, root veggies, and more. You can see all their CSA shares from 2023 on their website to get an idea of the amount and variety of produce. They love connecting with their CSA and invite members to visit the farm to learn all about their organic and sustainable farming methods.
You can join the full-season (30 weeks) or half-season (bi-weekly, 15 weeks) CSAs, and they offer several pickup locations around Birmingham. You can sign up here.
MannaMarket | Birmingham, AL
More Info: mannamarket.net
MannaMarket is an agriculture co-op that has been providing organic produce in Alabama for over twenty years. The co-op partners with Will’s Place, a nonprofit agricultural organization that provides organic farming training and experience to people with special needs, to source its weekly subscription boxes.
Their organic produce boxes come filled with nutrient-rich goodies, including quail eggs on occasion, and the co-op offers delivery throughout Birmingham in addition to several convenient pickup locations around town. You can join the CSA here.
Boozer Farms | Thorsby, AL
More Info: boozerfarms.com
As a kid, Taylor Boozer Hatchett occasionally visited farms with her father, who spent his career helping fruit farmers as the State Fruit Specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Taylor was taken with farm life but wasn’t sure if owning her own farm was in the cards. The knowledge of how to run a farm was there, but the land and equipment weren’t.
Through a winding career path, Taylor eventually found herself in charge of a sod farm which, with the help of her dad, slowly expanded into a fruit garden. That garden is now Boozer Farms in Thorsby, Alabama, and it provides fresh produce to Alabama restaurants, farmer’s markets, and the farm’s CSA program.
The spring and summer CSA is filled with fresh fruits, veggies, and greens, and it offers convenient pickup locations around Birmingham. You can join the CSA here.
Boyd Harvest Farm | Cullman, AL
More Info: boydharvestfarm.com
Want to get the same produce as top Birmingham restaurants (including Bottega, Highlands Bar & Grill, Urban Cookhouse, Brick & Tin, and Big Spoon Creamery)? Then check out the CSA from Boyd Harvest Farms. Trent Boyd grew up helping out on his family farm in Cullman, Alabama — the land he now owns. After being laid off from a construction job he’d held for 16 years, Boyd decided to return to his roots, and The Magic City restaurant scene is sure glad he did.
Boyd Harvest Farm offers farm box subscriptions for the spring and summer seasons, which include assortments of strawberries, broccoli, radishes, tomatoes, okra, and more. You can choose from a full-box or half-box subscription, depending on how much you need. They provide pickup at Pepper Place on Tuesday mornings.
You can order your farm boxes boxes here.
Hepzibah Farms | Talladega, AL
More Info: hepzibahfarms.com
At Hepzibah Farms, flowers are the prevailing specialty. With a Flower Club subscription, fresh flowers will be delivered to your door weekly or monthly — it’s up to you! Whatever bouquet size you select will come full of fresh blossoms from the farm. For the 2024 spring season, Hepzibah also offers free pickup at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
In addition to its flower CSA, Hepzibah Farms has a booth at Pepper Place Market, so you can stop by for extra flowers for a special occasion. You can gift a Flower Club membership or an e-gift card for flowers at the Market to make someone’s day!
For a single bouquet or to sign up for the Flower Club, check out the order page here.
Eat local and support Alabama farmers through these CSAs!
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