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.

Nothing beats fresh-from-the-farm produce! With that in mind, NOW is the time to lock down your share of the upcoming Summer’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. AND it makes for happy farmers, which is always a good thing!

Spots will fill up (some CSA options have already sold out), so jumping on your preferred option ASAP is highly recommended. Here’s a list of subscriptions that are currently on our radar…

City Beet Farm

OPEN | ~20-week-long Summer share, June to October. Pick-up Tuesdays 4-6:30pm in Mount Pleasant, from Federal Store (2601 Quebec Street). $600 all-in for 7-10 items (~$30 worth of veg) per week, grown and harvested from the Vancouver initiative’s various East Van front and backyard farms. Payment plan available. Bonus: City Beet Farm also offers weekly (8 bouquets; $200) and bi-weekly (5 bouquets; $125) flower shares during the height of the summer (exact dates TBA). ALSO: For as little as $10, you can pay forward some good, locally grown food to someone in need by taking advantage of the ‘Veggies for a Neighbour’ option. DETAILS.

Cropthorne Farm

OPEN | 18-weeks-long Summer share, from mid-June to mid-October. Cropthorne’s CSA is flex to the max! Various size and price options are available – Small, Medium and Large; ranging ~$20-40 worth of Certified Organic produce per week – depending on your household’s needs. An Early Bird discount (-5%) applied to orders purchased before March 31st. Payment plans also available! Six different pick-up times to choose from (Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays; evenings or days) from multiple locations in Vancouver, Tsawwassen, or directly from the Cropthorne farm. DETAILS.

Farmers on 57th

OPEN | ~20-week-long share, mid-May to mid-October. $640 ($32 worth of urban-farm-grown veg per week) for 7-11 items per week plus an assortment of fruits when also available. Pick-up Tuesdays 3-6pm, directly from the farm (57th and Cambie). Bonus: Farmers on 57th also offers a 14-week-long weekly ($350) or bi-weekly ($185) Flower Share Option, June through September. ALSO: For as little as $10, you can pay forward some good, locally grown food to the farm’s supported housing neighbours or for distribution to community fridges and Food Runners. DETAILS.

Glen Valley Organic Farm

OPEN | 24-week-long Summer share, mid-June through November. Available as a weekly “Full Share” option including seasonal produce plus fruit (rhubarb and berries) when possible; or as a bi-weekly “Half Share” of veggies only. $564-1,128 for ~$47 per week of produce. Payment plan available. Multiple Vancouver pick-up times and locations citywide, as well as North Van, New West, Burnaby, Langley, Coquitlam, Surrey, White Rock or directly from the Glen Valley farm in Abbotsford. Bonus: Summer not soon enough? Glen Valley also offers an early-season (early May to mid-June) box that’s packed with greens. Got a thing for fresh fruit? For an additional cost ($315-630) a weekly or bi-weekly 18- or 9-week-long fruit share (July through October) from fellow farmers, Snowy Mountain Organics in Cawston, should do the trick…You can even go the extra mile by extending it through November ($44-88). DETAILS.

Glorious Organics

SIGN UP NOW FOR NOTIFICATIONS | 20-week-long Summer share, beginning in June. Pick-up on Mondays (before 3pm) from various neighbourhood drop-off locations in Vancouver and North Van, and directly from Glorious’ Aldergrove farm. Bonus: If the already established pick-up locations aren’t in your area, the option to nominate a new, more convenient location is available, with enough subscribers on board. DETAILS.

Harvest Community Foods

ONGOING | Weekly, year-round, no commitment necessary. $41 per week for enough locally sourced produce to feed two people. Order deadline every Tuesday at 3pm, for pick-up from Harvest (243 Union Street) the following Thursday between 4-7pm. Bonus: Check off other items on your grocery list (and/or give into your impulsives) by filling up your pantry with local provisions available from the online grocery store, including condiments, toiletries and beverages, plus Harvest’s in-house broths, salads and pizza dough – done and yum! DETAILS.

Klippers Organics

OPEN | 17- or 22-week-long shares. Opt for enough veg to feed a couple (6-10 items per week; $510-660) or the family-sized option (10-14 items per week; $850-1100). Pick-ups available on various days and from a myriad locations, including three Vancouver Farmers Markets around the city, and further afield in BC (North Van, Langley, Burnaby, Oliver, Penticton, Summerland, Kelowna), as well as directly from Klippers’ Marketplace & Cafe (Cawston). Bonus: Seriously love bread? Shares of focaccia and sourdough from Klippers’ own restaurant, Row Fourteen, are also available to purchase for an additional cost. DETAILS.

Salt and Harrow

OPEN | 20-week-long Summer CSA, June through November. 7-9 items per week. Pick-up from various Vancouver Farmers Market locations, as well as directly from the Salt and Harrow farms in Ladner and Tsawwassen. $600. 5% discount applied to CSAs purchased before April 1st. Payment plans available. Bonus: If you have the cashflow and forethought, you can also secure your fall and/or winter veg now, OR invest in a full year’s share (47-week-long; pick-up weekly or biweekly, depending on the time of year). DETAILS.

Sole Foods Street Farms

WAITLIST | 20-week-long share, mid-May to the beginning of October. Pick-up Wednesdays from 1-6pm. $700 ($35 worth of urban-farm-grown veg per week). Bonus: Sole Foods also offers a 10-week-long weekly (June 19th through August 21st) Flower Share Option of locally grown fresh flower bouquets from Daisy’s Blooms for an additional $285. DETAILS.

Solstedt Organics

OPEN | 12-week-long “fruits only” subscription, July to late September. Full share ($240 for ~$25 worth per week) and half share ($120 for ~$12 worth per week) options available. Pick-up weekly on Saturdays from the Trout Lake Farmers Market, 8am-2pm. DETAILS.

Sweet Earth Farms

OPEN | 13-week-long Summer share, from June 15th to September 7th. Expect 6-8 veggies per week. Available as a Full Share ($910 for ~$70 worth per week) including eggs, bread, local cheese, and extras; or a Just Veggies option ($650 for ~$50 worth per week) with some extra options, as seasonally available. Payment instalment option. Pickup locations in Vancouver, New West, Langley, Surrey Abbotsford and Chilliwack; or nominate a new spot that’s more convenient. Delivery also available for an additional fee. Bonus: Check off all of the food groups on your grocery list by opting for the Heritage pork sausage add-on, $130 for ~$10 worth per week. DETAILS.

Valley Buds Flower Farm

OPEN | 14-week-long share, late-June to mid-October. $490 for ~$35 worth of fresh veg per week, locally grown by human ‘buds’, Alana Paterson and Michelle Pezel, on an “unconventional 2 acre plot” in the Squamish Valley. Pick-ups weekly, every Thursday from 12-6pm at Antisocial Skateboard Shop (2337 Main St.). Bonus: The ladies offer three different flower arrangement subscriptions! 5-week-long weekly “Early Bloomer” option (TBA when spring is sprung!), $135 for ~$27 worth of flowers per week; 6-week-long bi-weekly “Breezy Bloomer” (late-July to early-September), $168 for ~$28 worth of flowers; or, for the floral fanatic, the 12-week-long weekly “Full Bloomer” subscription (mid-July to end-of-September), $336. (ALSO: keep an eye on the Valley Buds IG feed for announcements about their flower and veg market pop-up, held weekly on the sidewalk in front of Antisocial.) DETAILS.