Now taking signups for our 2027 program!
We are now accepting deposits to join our 2027 Summer CSA! It will run 17 weeks. April 28- August 18 and will be followed by a separate Fall CSA.
Being a member of our CSA is a special commitment to eating healthy, nutrient dense food for people who appreciate the difference between high quality, fresh picked, heirloom flavors and what you can find in the grocery store. Our CSA is a unique offering in the Lynchburg area and by becoming a member of our program:
Our CSA is a unique offering in the Lynchburg area and by becoming a member of our program:
- You are supporting a family farm that cares about quality.
- You know that the produce you receive is always grown by our farm in a sustainable manner (no nasty chemicals on your food), no exceptions!
- You can source a large portion of your diet locally with add-on options for bread, chicken, and eggs.
- You may order additional items a la carte including vegetables, flowers, herbs, bread, live plants, and eggs. CSA members receive 10% off products produced on the farm when ordering online or at the Farmers Market. Members also enjoy the convenient ability to order meat products from Restoration Acres (order from their website restorationacresfarm.com) and pick them up when you get your CSA share.
- You receive special recipes, tips, and print materials throughout the season to help you learn to use all the veggies!
Now taking Sign-Ups for Summer 2027 CSA!
What is a CSA?
Beginning in the 1990s, Community Supported Agriculture is a movement catalyzed by the alienation and lack of transparency in the industrial food system. Feeling a need to connect more deeply with local food production, members “join” a CSA program run by their local farm on a yearly basis. Members then receive a weekly box of delicious fresh produce straight from the farm!
Farming can be a tough, unpredictable job, and as a CSA member you bring us some stability. Up-front payment helps the farm cover early season costs like seed, tools, and pots. Having a dedicated customer base makes planning much easier on the farm and ensures that the farmer has an outlet for occasional bumper crops that may be hard to sell at market.
CSA has exploded across the country in recent years, and the reason for this is simple. Members love their CSA experience. By joining, you are committing to feeding your family the freshest food possible, every week! Members feel a sense of ownership over the growing process and get to know the farmers by picking up directly from them every week.
A core idea of CSA is that consumers are sharing in the inherent risks that come with natural farming. This means in the event of extreme crop loss, you could receive less than the value of the share. However, we have 8 years of CSA experience and are confident members will receive a diverse selection of quality produce every week. Our members have always received more than what they paid for, and most join again the following year because they loved it so much!
What makes the Great Day Gardens CSA unique?
The vegetable share is the core of our CSA, and, with a few exceptions, includes only produce grown by us on our farm. The crops we choose to supplement come from small local farms with similar, natural growing practices. Whereas some programs may offer lots of choice and conveniences, we keep things simple by offering a “farmers choice” share. Members must pick up every week, and are typically adventurous eaters who enjoy trying new things. Many also like the fact that they can grab their share and dash, without having to make their own decisions about what to eat for the week. We are offering a shorter 17 week summer share and will also be providing a separate 8 week fall share that starts in September!
Payment is required up front and is non-refundable. If you decide to leave the CSA early, you are responsible for finding a friend to take over for you and you can arrange the payment with them.
With add-on options, we are also unique in that you can supply your family with a large portion of your diet through our CSA program. We offer wood-fired breads using local ingredients from Slowpoke Sourdough in Lynchburg, eggs from Mountain Run Permaculture’s pasture raised hens, mushrooms from Hill City Mushrooms, and chicken and pork from Restoration Acres Farm, a regenerative pastured farm in Sedalia.
2027 Program Details
The 2027 Summer CSA program runs for seventeen weeks from April 28 – August 18.
When and where do I pick up?
We have multiple pick-up options:
Wednesdays at the Rivermont Farmers Market at Riverside Park from 3-6 pm
Wednesdays at Great Day Gardens in Forest from 3-6 pm (self-serve)
Is it every week?
Yes, by joining you are committing to picking up your CSA share every week from April 28-August 18 (17 weeks). We send an email reminder every Tuesday and shares generally can be reclaimed if you forget to pick up but notify us immediately. Please understand that CSA share is harvested the morning of or afternoon before pickup and will spoil if not claimed, therefore, we ask you to give advance notice if you are unable to claim it that week. If you forget to cancel one week, it is a great opportunity to invite a friend to try eating local produce by picking up your share in your place!
What is in the share?
The base CSA is our vegetable share, which includes over 50 unique items over the course of the season. Most weekly shares will include one of each of the following:
- 1 herb bunch (dill, parsley, basil, cilantro, sage, etc.)
- 1 cooking green (Swiss chard, kale, collard greens, bok choy, etc.)
- 1 salad green (lettuce, spring mix, arugula, etc.)
- 1 storage crop (onions, garlic, winter squash, cabbage, kohlrabi, etc.)
- 1 root vegetable (beets, carrots, radishes, scallions, salad turnips, etc.)
- Variety of seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, beans, eggplants, cucumbers, okra, etc.)
How do I pay?
Members receive electronic invoices that can be paid with ACH direct deposit (preferred), cash, check, or credit card. Our favorite way to receive payment is by cash or check, to avoid the bank and credit card fees. Checks can be sent to Great Day Gardens, 2261 Thomas Jefferson Road, Forest VA 24551. You will receive an invoice within 2 weeks of placing your deposit, and the invoice should be paid in 30 days.
This year we are requiring all CSA payments to be paid at the beginning of the season. All members must place a $25 deposit to reserve their spot in the program; this is counted towards your overall payment for the CSA share.
Do I get to choose what I get?
The CSA is 100% farmer’s choice. You get what you get, so be ready for some culinary improvisation!
What if I decide to end my CSA membership early?
If you end the CSA early, you are not eligible for a refund. Of course, sometimes people have unforeseen circumstances which will not allow them to finish out the CSA season. In this case we encourage you to find a friend who is willing to take over your share and pay you for the weeks they are getting. Since the CSA is much shorter this year, we hope it makes it a little less of a commitment for you!
Mutual Benefits and Shared Risk
In addition to a heavy bag of our produce every week, members gain cooking inspiration, updates on our garden, and a sense of community by participating in our CSA program. Members also receive a coupon code for 10% off online orders of Great Day products from May to December of the year you are a member. Members are even welcome to schedule their own tour at the farm any time during the season. The mutual benefit comes as we form a network of supply and demand for local agriculture and together share the risks that small-scale farming can entail. In a season of severe drought or storms the farm may not supply a full share every week, but as long as things go as planned, we will supply you above and beyond what you pay for!
CSA is not for everyone
Some people join the CSA with good intentions, only to find out that they are too busy to cook the vegetables they receive every week, or they are uncomfortable with the changes and unpredictability of what comes in the bag. The earliest we are able to notify members of what will be in the bag that day is the day before pick-up, when we send our weekly newsletter.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions if you are thinking about signing up but aren’t sure if it will suit your lifestyle and personality. The CSA program does require you to commit to eating locally, which sometimes means you lose conveniences that the grocery store offers. The CSA is for those who enjoy the surprise factor of learning to use new foods, and not having to make decisions about what to buy.
Summer Vegetable Share
Designed to provide a good variety of produce to a family of 4-5, though 2 vegetable enthusiasts could eat it up on their own. Includes 6-12 seasonal vegetables (on average $28 retail value per week). You can expect to receive lots of greens in the spring and fall, and lots of tomatoes, peppers, and squash in the summer. Salad greens will be very consistent the entire season. Most shares include: an herb bunch, a salad green, a cooking green, a storage crop (i.e. onions, potatoes, winter squash), a root vegetable (i.e. radishes, carrots, beets, turnips), and variety of summer fruits (i.e. tomatoes, squash, beans, peas, okra, eggplant). Though you will not ever receive the exact same bag of vegetables in two consecutive weeks, we try to have some consistency so that members know what to expect and aren’t stuck with just unusual items they don’t know how to cook.
Full cost: $480.00
Bread Share
Wood-fired bread out of Slowpoke Sourdough in Lynchburg (formerly known as Great Day Bakehouse). Members receive one bread item per week, baker’s choice. The bread is made using a sourdough culture and ingredients are organic, local, or home-grown as often as possible. Bread selection will include Pain Au Levain, Rugbrod, Herb Cheddar, Multigrain, Pa de Pages, Roasted Garlic, Baguettes, Miche, and others. All breads are baked in our wood-fired oven. All the flour comes from Deep Roots Milling in Lowesville (an hour away!) and is made from low-spray or organic grains grown in the region! Most breads are vegan and sugar-free.
Full cost: $160 for one loaf per week
Restoration Acres Meat Share
We love connecting with this farm which does a wonderful job producing healthy and delicious pasture-raised animal products. We have eaten for an entire week from one of their chickens, which are full of flavor and nutrients and make a delicious broth. Check out their website for more information.
This year rather than just whole chicken, the meat share will include an alternating schedule of pork and chicken. One week you will receive two varieties of sausage and the following week you will receive a whole chicken (averaging around 4.5 lbs).
Cost: $380.00 for one whole chicken every other week, averaging 4.5 pounds and two sausage varieties every other week (one link and one ground). That’s 8 chickens and approximately 18 lbs. of sausage total.
Mountain Run Permaculture Egg Share
These eggs are laid by chickens raised on rich pasture and fed a non-GMO feed in addition to their foraged food.
Cost: $120.00 for one dozen eggs per week.
Flower Share
We have been growing flowers on a small scale for years and are excited to be diversifying our CSA selection with weekly “Farm Bouquets”.
Cost: $240.00 for one bouquet per week.
Mushroom Share
We are excited to be offering a variety of fresh mushrooms from Hill City Mushrooms this year! Varieties include Oyster, Lions Mane, and Shiitake.
Cost: $170.00 for 1/3 lb fresh mushrooms per week.
