5 Benefits of a CSA (and How to Join Ours)

Eating fresh, healthy food is important, but sometimes it can be hard to find. That’s why The Farms of Illinois offers a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. When you join a CSA, you get fresh, local food from farmers who care about the land, the animals, and the people they feed.

With our CSA options, you can get meat, eggs, or a produce box delivered right to your home. You can even add extra farm-fresh products like cheese, herbs, mushrooms, coffee, and popcorn from our online shop to your weekly or monthly order. It’s an easy way to bring the best of the farm straight to your table.

There are many benefits of a CSA for both you and local farms—keep reading to learn some of them!

What is a CSA?

A CSA is a way for families to buy fresh food directly from local farmers. When you sign up, you receive a box of farm-fresh food on a regular schedule. You don’t have to go to the grocery store and wonder where your food comes from. Instead, you get delicious, high-quality food straight from the farm.

Since you get a mix of items with a meat or produce box, you don’t have to meal plan or figure out what vegetables to add to your grocery list. It’s also a great way to try a mix of different foods since the produce changes seasonally.

Why Should You Join a CSA?

1. You Get the Freshest Food

The biggest benefit of a CSA is the freshness of the food. Everything in our CSA boxes comes straight from the local farms. Our fruits and vegetables are chemical-free and grown using natural compost and mulch. This keeps the food clean and healthy without using harmful chemicals.

Our meat, eggs, and dairy products come from animals raised with care. Our farmers believe in giving animals the best possible life. That means no added hormones or antibiotics—just good, natural food you can trust.

2. You Support Local Farmers

When you join our CSA, you help small farms in Central Illinois. Many small farms struggle to sell their food because they don’t have the ability to deliver to customers on their own. By working together, we make it possible for farmers to sell their food directly to people like you.

Your support helps these farms stay in business. When farmers succeed, they can continue growing food in a way that is good for the land and the community.

3. You Help the Environment

There are environmental benefits of a CSA because our farmers use regenerative farming practices. This means they take special care of the soil, water, and animals so that the farm (and environment) stays healthy for years to come.

Our farmers use compost instead of chemical fertilizers and mulch instead of herbicides. This keeps the soil rich in nutrients and helps our plants grow strong. We also minimize soil disturbance so that the land can stay healthy for future generations.

When you buy local food, you also help reduce pollution. Grocery store food often travels thousands of miles before it reaches your home. Food from a CSA comes right from farms near you, which means fewer trucks on the road and less fuel used.

4. You Save Time and Money

With a CSA, there’s no need to spend time at the store searching for the best produce, meat, and eggs. Everything is picked for you and delivered straight to your home.

We deliver to Jacksonville, Springfield, Bloomington, and all the surrounding communities in Central Illinois as well as offer biweekly delivery to St. Louis.

You don’t even have to be home when your CSA box arrives. We send you a text to let you know when we’re on our way and another text when your box has been delivered. If it’s a warm day, you can leave a cooler on your porch so your food stays fresh.

5. You Eat Healthier and More Seasonally

It’s easy to eat healthy when you have fresh, delicious food in your kitchen. Our CSA makes sure you always have high-quality, seasonal meat, eggs, and produce on hand, which is a great benefit of a CSA for your long-term health. With every meal, you know you’re feeding your family food that is good for them and grown the right way.

How to Join Our CSA

If you’re ready to see the benefits of a CSA, joining our CSA is simple. Just visit our online shop, choose your CSA options, and place your order. Your box will arrive right at your doorstep, filled with farm-fresh goodness.

By signing up, you’re not just getting amazing food. You’re supporting local farms, protecting the environment, and making sure your family eats the best food possible.

Join us today and experience the benefits of fresh, local food!