2026 Summer CSA
Trowel & Error Farm is in the process of moving from the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm on Melrose Ave to a new location in Iowa City this year. 2026 will be the farm’s 8th season. During this year of transition, we are putting together a smaller CSA than usual.
Our CSA is full for this year, however we have reserved a few spots for members with low incomes. If you plan to pay for the CSA at the reduced rate and/or with SNAP / Double Up Food Bucks, please find more information and a link to sign up below.
If you do not have low income but are still interested in a CSA share, you can sign up for our waiting list at the link below, and we’ll be in touch if a spot becomes available.
The CSA will feature staples like peppers, carrots, and tomatoes, as well as harder to find items like arugula, bok choy, and radicchio. Here is a breakdown of the vegetables that tend to appear in the CSA and when:
- June – spinach, radishes, turnips, bok choy, beets, scallions, kale, snap peas, arugula, lettuce/greens, kohlrabi, herbs (thyme, sage)
- July – kale, onions, eggplant, cucumber, carrots, beets, herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil)
- August – tomatoes, green beans, peppers, swiss chard, zucchini/summer squash, eggplant, cucumbers, garlic
- September – tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, garlic, leeks, spinach, lettuce/greens
Every farm’s CSA is organized a little differently. Please note that in this CSA, while there is often a choice between certain items, all members receive essentially the same items from the farm each week. Size and contents of the share vary according to the point in the season. Shares will naturally be lighter in June (lots of leafy greens) and heavier in September. The following are examples of box contents from the 2024 CSA:
June 3: 5oz baby mustard, 1 potted herb plant, 1 bunch beets, 1 bunch sprouting broccoli, 1 pint snap peas, 1 bunch komatsuna, 1 head green garlic, ½# arugula
September 2: 1 pint fish peppers, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 pint okra, 1 bunch thyme, 1 head napa cabbage, 2 rosa bianca eggplant, 2 kohlrabi, 2.5# full size tomatoes, 1 bunch kale
The CSA will last for 16 weeks. We expect it to begin the week of May 11 and last until the week of September 14, with a 3 week break in July between the weeks of July 6 – 20. Having a break in the CSA during July will help us catch up on planting and weeding so we can provide bountiful boxes of produce late into the season. In the event that we have a late Spring and we need to delay the first pick-up, the CSA will still last for 16 weeks, it will just begin later and end later.
csa share sizes + pricing
Full share, full season (16 weeks): $500
Half share, full season (8 weeks): $265
Early summer share (first 8 weeks of the CSA): $265
Late summer share (final 8 weeks of the CSA): $265
Early summer share, half (4 weeks): $140
Late summer share, half (4 weeks): $140
Full share: The full share is our standard share. It features between 6-12 different kinds of vegetables each week. The full share will meet the produce needs of a family of 3-5. The full share may also be the right choice for a household of 1-2 that eats a mostly vegetarian diet, cooks very frequently, and/or enjoys preserving extra produce. The full share is picked up weekly and lasts for 16 weeks.
Half share: The half share will meet the produce needs of a household of 1-2 people. Instead of offering two different sized shares, we offer every-other-week pick-up. Half share members pick up the same exact amount of produce as the full share, but they pick it up every other week instead of on a weekly basis, for a total of 8 pick-ups.
Early summer share (first 8 weeks of the CSA): This share will be picked up weekly for the first 8 weeks of the CSA, i.e. the weeks of May 11 – June 29. If you know you’ll be spending most of August on vacation or prepping for back-to-school, or if you just love the roots and greens of early spring but could do without the tomatoes and squash of late summer, this is the right option for you.
Late summer share (final 8 weeks of the CSA): This share will be picked up weekly for the final 8 weeks of the CSA, i.e. July 27 – September 14. If when you think of a CSA, you think of tomatoes, green beans, summer squash, but you’re less big on the tender greens of early spring, this may be the right option for you. There will still be greens in this portion of the CSA, but fewer than the early summer share.
Early summer share, half (4 weeks): This share will be picked up every other week for the first half of the CSA. This share is perfect for a household that wants to give the CSA a try without jumping in for a full season.
Late summer share, half (4 weeks): This share will be picked up every other week for the final half of the CSA. This share is perfect for a household that wants to give the CSA a try without jumping in for a full season.
Local food is not always the most affordable option. You are here because you value sustainable agriculture and sought us out in spite of that – thank you for your interest in the farm and the produce we offer.
With support from the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, we are able to accept Double Up Food Bucks for the CSA to help make it more affordable. If you are enrolled in SNAP, you are eligible for this opportunity to cut the total cost of your CSA share in half.
This table outlines the different types of shares we offer, and indicates the pricing depending on how you pay for the CSA. You’ll notice that if you pay for the CSA using your SNAP card, you receive the most affordable pricing. If you don’t have a SNAP card but opt for the reduced rate, you’ll still receive a discount on the CSA:
Share type | Standard pricing | Reduced rate for Iowans with low incomes (non-SNAP) | SNAP / Double Up Food Bucks pricing |
Full share, full season (16 weeks) | $500 | $400 | $200 |
Half share, full season (8 weeks) | $265 | $200 | $100 |
Early summer share (first 8 weeks of the CSA) | $265 | $200 | $100 |
Late summer share (final 8 weeks of the CSA) | $265 | $200 | $100 |
Early summer share, half (4 weeks) | $140 | $100 | $50 |
Late summer share, half (4 weeks) | $140 | $100 | $50 |
CSA members pick up their shares on Mondays from 5:30-6:30pm. The pick up location this year is:
The Celebration Farm, 4696 Robin Woods Ln NE, Iowa City, IA 52240
Our CSA is full for this year. You can sign up for our waiting list at the link above, and we’ll be in touch if a spot becomes available.
Summer CSA FAQ
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The form a CSA takes varies from farm to farm, but typically a CSA involves a shared risk between the farmer and the eater. The eater offers financial security to the farmer by purchasing a “share” at the beginning of the season, when farm purchases need to be made but there is little income on the farm. In return, the eater receives a weekly box full of the farm’s seasonal bounty, a sense of community, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing the source of their food. Food farming can be a challenging endeavor. The farmer is tasked with growing 50 different crops in an unpredictable environment. The CSA model helps farmers by providing a stable market for their product, and it helps eaters by connecting them more closely to their food source, and offering fresh, healthy, locally-grown produce!
Excellent question! Part of sharing the risk with the farmer means that we are all – farmers and eaters – subject to nature’s rhythms! So while we cannot guarantee that a particular vegetable will be in your share in a particular week, here’s an idea of what to expect:
June – spinach, radishes, turnips, bok choy, beets, scallions, kale, snap peas, arugula, lettuce, kohlrabi
July – collards, kale, lettuce, onions, green beans, eggplant, cucumber, carrots, beets, herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil)
August – tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, zucchini/summer squash, eggplant, cucumbers, garlic
September – tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, garlic, leeks, spinach, lettuce/greens
We are not certified organic. However, we have always utilized organic practices, and we will continue to do so. We will never spray inorganic chemicals, utilize synthetic fertilizers, or do anything else that would violate organic standards. See this page for more information on our practices.
The short answer is, no. We believe that one of the foundational principles of a CSA is that the eater is acknowledging and sharing in the risk of farming with the farmer. But fear not! We will do everything we can to fill boxes with diverse abundance each week. In the event that we lose a crop, we will simply pack the boxes with another crop to make up for that loss. Risk mitigation is just one of the perks to growing 40+ crops!
Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse folks who miss the weekly pick-up. If you’re headed out of town, consider having a friend or co-worker pick up your share that week. Or let us know you’ll miss a pick-up and we can donate your share to a local food pantry.
If you will be out of town for an extended period of the summer, our CSA might not be the right choice – or you might consider one of the partial share options (more info under the “share options and pricing” tab above).
In 2025, we we are offering more share sizes and options than ever before. Please see the “share options and pricing” tab above for a full breakdown.
Unsure if you should get a full size or half size share?
You should consider our full share option if one or more of the following applies to you:
- You and/or the folks in your household eat a lot of vegetables!
- Three or more people will be sharing the CSA.
- You cook frequently.
- You enjoy preserving excess vegetables for later use (canning, freezing, pickling)
You should consider our half share option if one or more of the following applies to you:
- You participated in the full share last year and loved the fresh veggies, but had a hard time using the whole share each week.
- You live alone or share a household with one other person.
- You and the folks in your household enjoy cooking with fresh vegetables, but you eat out and/or are out of town frequently and wonder if the full share might be too big.
Yes! We accept SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks for the CSA. Rather than pay for your entire share up front, you’ll pay when you receive your share. For further details, please see the “pricing for Iowans with low incomes” tab above. If you have any questions at all about using SNAP and Double Up to pay for your CSA share, please reach out to us at trowelanderrorfarm@gmail.com (Carly) or blackearthgardens@gmail.com (Mari). We are happy to answer any questions.
