10 CSA Signups in Ottawa

We're dreaming of gardens full of veggies and orchards bursting with fruit. The best way to get your hands on all that locally-grown bounty? Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to get your share of a nearby farm's annual crop—a bin of the freshest, highest quality food delivered to you all summer long.

Bryson's is the biggest name in town, delivering certified organic produce and organic beef all over the Ottawa area. They're known for their quality and reliability, and they're best for newbies; instead of committing to a whole season, you can try them for a week or two first. Their website is a breeze to navigate—place or cancel orders online, and add a few extras to your weekly bin, like vegan squash pie or gluten free pizza. Need a little green in your winter? They've got frozen produce as well that can be delivered year-round.

Jardin Rochon has one of the longest growing seasons, offering CSA boxes from mid-May right through to October. Bring your Rochon cloth bag to any one of their pickup locations across the city—from Kanata to Barrhaven to Orleans to the Glebe—and gather an amazing array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If you just can't make it, arrange for home delivery just about anywhere in the city for a small fee. We won't be able to resist adding on eggs, sheep cheese, maple syrup, and other goodies too.

The Foster Family Farm is one of the few to offer fruit as well as veggies in their boxes, in-season watermelon, cantaloupe, and raspberries go in the bin, and early signups score four free baskets of pick-your-own strawberries in July. Plus, you'll find a bonus dozen free range eggs every week in their full share box. Pickup is easy in Kanata, Barrhaven, and Cedarview, with new locations added as requests come in. Best of all is their referral program—earn a free week of food for every family you send their way.

The farmers behind Roots and Shoots really know how to make food fun. Their wide variety of produce is all organic and they help you serve it up with the recipes in their weekly newsletter. Bring a bin or bags to their pickup locations in the Glebe, Westboro, Hintonburg, or Ottawa South, then head home to experiment.

Bring a bin or bags with you to Ferme Leve-Tot's two pickup locations on Thursdays—one in Ottawa's New Edinburgh neighbourhood, the other in Val-Tétreau in Gatineau. We love their fresh, organic weekly boxes, but we also can't wait to try their fall storage baskets—big bags of hardy root veggies that'll take you through the holidays and beyond.

Our Little Farm has a great family atmosphere—in addition to their veggie baskets, you'll be warmly welcomed with a weekly newsletter full of recipes, and the occasional special event at the farm, including family-friendly tours and veggie scavenger hunts. With five pickup locations in Ottawa and two more in Gatineau, their certified organic produce is easy to access too.

Luxy Farm grows an amazing variety of certified organic veggies in St. Albert, with weekly CSA pickups in Rockcliffe and Sandy Hill. We just love their blog, which features recipes, tips, and an adorable peek into life on the farm with a young family.

Riverglen Farm is a smaller CSA, but has the advantage of being located right inside the city, near Carling and Moodie. Grab a weekly bin of ethically grown produce during a fun trip to the farm, or at their weekly pickup point in Westboro. Eggs, chicken, and beef are also available on a pre-order basis.

Aubin Farm has a great philosophy of living well with the Earth, and it shows in their fantastic array of organic produce and herbs in their CSA boxes, which are delivered right to your door. You can also add extras like grass-fed beef and lamb, Indian chutneys and pickles (made on site), and soft blankets made from the wool of their own herd of sheep. Families are welcome at their end of season harvest celebration, and other special events throughout the season.

Located in West Carleton, Our Farm is a sweet little place that offers west end pickup of a wide range of veggies and herbs—find them in Kanata Lakes, Dunrobin, Fitzroy Harbour and Constance Bay. Pastured lamb and pork are also available.