Bushwick CSA boxes, left, and back yard seedlings. — Photos by Gwen Schantz

This spring brings a host of grassroots food projects to our fair neighborhood, including community gardens, farmers markets, rooftop and backyard farms and even a fledgling food cooperative. And on top of all this, Bushwick is home to not one but two CSA groups. CSA stands for "Community-Supported Agriculture," and it refers to a system in which people buy farm shares in exchange for a regular delivery of food.

Most CSAs involve weekly deliveries of fresh seasonal produce like vegetables or eggs. This kind of farm share program is beneficial to farmers because it provides them with income in the beginning of the springtime when money tends to be tight. They’re good for consumers because the food in a CSA share is less expensive than it would be in the store or at a farmers market.

For the second year in a row, Make the Road is hosting a CSA out of its office on Grove Street, hooking up Bushwick residents with fresh produce grown by Jersey-based farmer Sergio Nolasco. It has been so popular that they ran out of memberships for middle-income families, so another group is working to bring a second CSA to the neighborhood.

This new CSA will bring weekly deliveries of organic produce from Garden of Eve Farm in Long Island to Bushwick’s very own Starr Space. Garden of Eve already delivers to CSAs in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, but don’t hold that against them — they grow delicious, environmentally-friendly food that you’re sure to enjoy even if you don’t ride a fixed gear.

Up until now, Bushwick’s food landscape has been relatively barren when it comes to local, sustainably-raised food. The arrival of CSAs and other food projects brings hope that Bushwickers will soon have the same access to fresh, healthy, and green food that previous generations did back in the 19th century when our neighborhood was a New York City breadbasket. These food projects also promise to foster bridge-building between the diverse yet somewhat segregated segments of our community. Everyone eats — let’s all eat well together.

The Garden of Eve CSA is still looking for members, so if you’re interested in signing up, write to them at info@bushwickfoodcoop.org. The cutoff date for new members is May 7th (next Wednesday!) so act fast if you want some veggies.

And if your household income is less than $30,000 a year, you may be eligible for a low-income CSA membership through Make the Road. Call them at 718-418-7690 x 232 for more info.