2025 CSA Program

Why sign up for our CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs form a mutually beneficial relationship between farms and the communities around them. When customers agree to pay a certain amount and receive a regular share of what’s growing on their local farm, customers and farmers share in the risk and the success of the farming season - they are united in the common goals of making sure that the land is cared for sustainably and that the community has continued access to safe, nutritious, locally-grown produce.

Members of our CSA program also participate our mission; we are more than just a farm. Mission of Mary is a 501(c)(3) organization that works on food justice issues on the inner east side of Dayton. We distribute fresh, locally-grown produce to our community through sales and donations, run educational programming, host community garden beds, and build gardens in our neighbors’ own backyards.  We do this work because we know that each community needs knowledge of and access to healthy produce! 

See below for more details about this season’s program:

The Details

Pickup

Pick up your share each Wednesday from 2pm–6 pm at our farm headquarters (619 Silver Ln, Dayton OH 45410). This gives you a chance to see our operation, get to know our farm team, and meet other CSA members. The season lasts for 24 straight weeks — from May 21 to October 29.

Standard Pricing

Each member pays a small donation each week (included in your membership cost). It is a tax-deductible donation that allows us to offer a lower-cost membership for our low income & food insecure neighbors. You can pay weekly, monthly, or all up front for your membership. More information about a lower cost CSA membership is below.

  • Large Share – suggested for families of 4+ (or 2 hungry veggie lovers) - about 10-14 items per box. 

    • (Retail value of $36 + $5 donation = $41) x 24 Weeks = Total Cost of $984 for season

  • Small Share - suggested for a family of 2 to 4 veggie lovers - about 7-10 items per box.

    • (Retail value of $25 + $4 donation = $29) x 24 Weeks = Total Cost of $696 for season

Lower Cost Membership

If you are in need of a lower cost in order to afford the CSA program—we can help! Generally families or individuals who need this assistance pay $11 per week for a small box or $16 per week for a large box. However, we can be flexible on the cost to match your needs. We also accept EBT as a form of payment for your CSA.

Shortened Season

If you want to sign up but know you will miss a few weeks, or you only want to sign up for part of a season - we can probably work that out! Just send us an email and we can figure out the best plan and how to adjust/prorate the membership cost. Email us at: customer@missionofmary.org

What to Expect

What We Grow

We grow over 75 different varieties of produce at our farm! Each week the CSA share has 7-14 seasonal items and comes with a weekly newsletter containing storage tips and recipe ideas. The produce in each weekly share is fresh from our gardens and is all locally grown, and without synthetic pesticides or herbicides.

  • An example of an early summer box might be: radishes, lettuce, broccoli, kale, green onions, snap peas, cabbage, bok choy, and kohlrabi

  • An example of a late summer box might be: onions, peppers, green beans, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, basil, squash, cucumbers, and eggplant

  • An example of a fall box might be: peppers, tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots, leeks, swiss chard, sage, lettuce, garlic, celery, and beets

Your First Visit

  • To pick up your CSA box, simply make your way to our designated pickup location at 619 Silver Ln, Dayton, Ohio. The pickup window is from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

  • If it's your first time visiting the farm, don't worry if it seems like you're turning into an alley! Once you reach the location, you'll notice our greenhouse and parking lot. Please park your vehicle outside the fence and head through the gate.

  • Look for a white tent and table, where we will be waiting to assist you. Just provide your name to the attendant, and they will check you off the list and hand over your box filled with fresh goodies.

  • When you return the following week for your next box, please return your box and any blue cartons so that we can reuse them from week to week. (If you forget, don’t worry! Everyone does sometimes. Just bring it back when you can.) Some customers prefer to bring their own bag or cooler to put their veggies in so that they don’t have an empty box sitting around their house for a week. That works, too!

Customer Choice

  • It can take some adjusting to use a CSA, because unlike the grocery store, you’re just getting a box of seasonal veggies. It might include things you don’t regularly eat or a variety you’ve never seen! We try to help by offering recipe ideas in our newsletter each week, and many people say they like being forced to get creative.

  • However, we’ve also tried to incorporate customer choice to some extent - it makes for happier customers and less wasted food! Often one of the items in your box will be an option between two things (for example, eggplant OR cucumbers), which you can choose when you’re getting your box.

  • We’ll have a “swap box” available at the table - some people hate beets but love kale, others hate kale but love beets. It happens! If there’s an item in your CSA box you know you won’t eat, you’re welcome to exchange it for something in the swap box instead.

  • We will also have additional veggies available for individual sale each week. Some will be extras of the items in your box, others might not be. Feel free to peruse our list if you want any add-ons from our farm stand!

Opening & Breaking Down Your Box

Sometimes the boxes can be a little tricky, if you’re not putting together and breaking down 100 boxes a week! Which folds go where isn’t always intuitive. We’re always happy to help, but here’s a visual guide for you, too: