We’re a pretty satisfied bunch, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t covetous. Sometimes we see things out there that we just must have. Cool Things We Want is an archive of those earthly desires.

Now is the time to lock down your share of this Summer and Fall’s bounty by signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription. Not only is it a great way to get your home cooking and eating in sync with the seasons, it’s also the easiest and most direct way of contributing to a sustainable local food system. It also makes for happy farmers, which is never a bad thing. And, of course, nothing beats fresh-from-the-farm produce! Here’s a list of subscription options that are currently open for sales…

Choi Box

16-week-long subscription, from June 25th to October 8th, 2021. Pick up is every Thursday (4-7pm) from the Britannia Community Services Centre. $520 for the entire season. Each weekly Choi Box contains approximately 7-9 different items of produce. Bonus: The Choi Box program is facilitated by the hua foundation and is designed specifically to support Asian farmers living in Metro Vancouver. The 2021 CSA is in partnership with Brave Child Farm, a small Surrey based eco-farm with a focus on Asian vegetables. DETAILS.

Cropthorne Farm

17- or 20-week-long Summer CSA Shares, June to early or late October. Small, Medium and Large options available, depending on the size and preference of your household. Multiple weekly pick-up days and locations in Vancouver, Tsawwassen, or from the Delta farm. $445.00 to $889.47. Alternatively, Cropthorne’s “Friend of the Farm” option allows you to purchase a share in denominations of $350, $550 or $750, which you can then use towards purchases from the Farm Stand or their Farmers Market stall. Bonus: 5% discount available on orders purchased by February 28th; 2% discount from March 1st to April 30th. DETAILS.

Fresh Roots

20-week-long Veggie Box subscription, running from June to October 2021 (exact dates TBA). Pick-ups every Wednesday from 4-8pm from the Italian Cultural Centre. $450 for approximately $22.50 worth of produce each week + charitable donation tax receipt. Alternatively, Fresh Roots has also just launched their “Good Food Market Credits” program which is available in $100 denominations, for redemption from either the Wednesday market or Saturday Vancouver Farmers Market dates. Bonus: Veggies are grown by Fresh Roots participants at their various Schoolyard Market Gardens, so your subscription also serves to nurture and educate young people. DETAILS.

Glorious Organics

18-week-long subscription beginning in June. $700 for $35-40 worth of produce each week. Pick-up on Saturdays from the Trout Lake Farmers Market. Bonus: If the pick-up location is too out of your way, Glorious Organics also offers a delivery option with drop-off locations from East Van to North Van and Aldergrove; and, if you get enough CSA-ers on board, you can even nominate a new, more convenient location. DETAILS.

Klippers Organics

17- or 22-week-long shares available in two sizes: small ($30 worth of veg per week) and large ($50 worth of veg per week). $510 – 1100 for enough veg to feed a household of two adults or a small family. $100 deposit required at time of order; full payment deadline May 1st, 2021. Pick-ups available from various Vancouver Farmers Market locations or the Cawston Farm Store. DETAILS.

Salt and Harrow

7-week to one-year-long options are all currently available to purchase. $210-1100, regular price. 20-week-long June to October “Summer Harvest” is $600 for enough certified organic veg to to keep a one-to-two person household satisfied. Payment plans are also available. Pick-ups Saturday or Sunday, depending on the time of year, from various Vancouver Farmers Market locations and the West Vancouver Ambleside Farmers Market, or directly from the Tsawwassen farm. For another lower commitment option, Salt and Harrow also offers the same incentive when you purchase Market Cards (beginning at $25) to redeem from their market stall. Bonus: If you secure your Farmer’s Choice Farm Share before April 1st, you’ll save 5% off of the cost. Salt and Harrow CSA subscribers are also entitled to exclusive “members only” items, depending on availability. DETAILS.

Ongoing

Harvest Community Foods / Burdock & Co

Weekly, year-round, no commitment necessary. $38 per week for enough locally sourced produce to feed two people. Order deadline every Tuesday at 4pm with pick-ups from either Harvest on Thursdays (4-7pm) or Burdock & Co on Wednesdays (5-7pm). Bonus: In addition to fresh veg and fruit, the weekly goodies may also include non-produce items like locally sourced beans and legumes, eggs and tempeh, depending on seasonal availability. DETAILS / DETAILS.

Flowers

Valley Buds Flower Farm

Locally grown flowers, in assorted arrangements. 6-week-long bi-weekly “Breezy Bloomer” option, $147 (including tax) for approximately $24 worth of flowers per week; or, for the floral fanatic, the 12-week-long weekly “Full Bloomer” subscription, $294 (including tax). Pick-up from Antisocial Skateboard Shop (2337 Main Street). DETAILS.

Get Your Grains

Cedar Isle

$60 – 105 for Half (2x 3.5-5kg bag) or Full (4×3.5-5kg bag) Shares of your choice of Fraser Valley grown grains, including hard red and soft white spring wheats, rye, barley and oats. Upcoming CSA dates are currently unavailable, but interested people should sign up for Cedar Isle’s mailing list in order to not miss out on CSA-related announcements. DETAILS.

Coming Soon

KPU Farm School

20-week-long Produce Box Subscription from mid-June to the end of October. Specifics about the 2021 season are currently unavailable but will be announced soon. Bonus: Besides being working farms, the KPU’s Tsawwassen First Nation and Richmond Farm Schools operate inclusive, hands-on educational programs on sustainable farming, which your CSA subscription directly supports. DETAILS.

Sole Food Street Farms

2021 season from June 1st to July 29th. $30 per weekly box ($270 for the full nine weeks), full of and assortment of produce grown and harvested from their Olympic Village urban farm. Pick-ups are Tuesday or Thursday, pending availability, from 4-7pm directly from the farm (299 W 1st Ave) or on Wednesday from the Downtown Farmers Market. DETAILS.