Mountain Roots multi-farm CSA

Registration IS OPEN!

We’re listening! You, our shareholders, told us you’d love to see more variety and higher quality in the cuts of meat we’re sourcing for your whole diet share. We’re excited to continue the popular combination: Whole Diet with Choice Cuts Share.

Retail price: $1,624. ($101.50 per week)

Early Bird Price: $1,504 ($94 per week)

In our Whole Diet Share, you’ll get the standard vegetable, standard fruit, artisan bread, local eggs, AND each week, a mouthwatering selection of choice cuts of locally raised meat – for example, two juicy NY strip steaks, rack of lamb or lamb chops, a whole pork tenderloin, a pair of perfectly marbled rib eyes, and more.

CSA PHILOSOPHY

We believe that the path from farm to fork matters.

Mountain Roots has been working for 10 years to transform our local food system — to revitalize local agriculture, restore the health of our soils, and localize our food system because we believe that by doing so we can have a positive and lasting impact on the health of our environment, our people, and our community.

By investing in a share you are supporting a network of local farmers.

You are connecting with the story of your food, and how it gets to your plate, and through your food dollar, you are supporting ethically-raised food and building a community around a resilient food system. The CSA model means farmers are paid at the start of the season, so they have the resources they need to hire farmers, upgrade tools, purchase seeds and starts, and plant their fields. They’re growing your food to order, and you’re supporting the growth of their business.

INVESTING IN SMALL FAMILY FARMS IS GOOD FOR THE PLANET

Like you, our farmers care about the health of the environment. Small family farms are actively working every day to improve the soil, restore essential nutrients and microbial life, conserve our precious water, and keep our water clean. Food from nearby farms travels short distances from the farm to your plate, so it has a smaller carbon footprint, too.

You are investing in your health by eating seasonally, nutritious vegetables.

Your CSA is more than just a box of produce. You’re enjoying crisp, fresh vegetables within 24 hours of harvest. You will experience unmatched quality and taste. As we travel through the season of local food together, you’ll explore different varieties of your favorites and discover new ones, too! We hope this inspires your creativity around new foods and recipes.

2024 SHARE OPTIONS

Pick-ups on Thursdays 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM:

Gunnison

CSA FAQ’S

What size share should I get?

A standard share is sized for 2-3 people weekly, and a double share is sized for 4 or more people weekly

What’s in a Whole Diet Share?

For you, the local food champion, one of everything PLUS choice cuts of locally raised meats. In our Whole Diet Share, you’ll get the standard vegetable, standard fruit, artisan bread, local eggs, AND each week, a mouthwatering selection of choice cuts of locally raised meat – for example, two juicy NY strip steaks, rack of lamb or lamb chops, a whole pork tenderloin, a pair of perfectly marbled rib eyes, and more.

Is there a vegan Whole Diet option?

Not yet, but we’re working on it and hope to add this in 2025.

Will I get Infinity Greens in the CSA?

Yes! We are very excited to debut our hyper-local ultra clean Infinity Greens in the CSA in 2024. Read more about Infinity Greens here.

What’s in the box?

A CSA is seasonal eating at its best. Every week we send an email with a complete list of what’s in the box that week and what farm it came from (including ours!). Open your email! You’ll also find delicious recipes, storage tips, and weekly specials. Our distribution team selects the highest quality produce that is ripe and crisp and fresh and delicious. You’ll see that our selections follow the flow of the season. So look for cherries, not melons, in late June, and you probably won’t get snap peas in September. To get a better idea of what’s in season when, check out the Colorado Crop Calendar.

Where do I pick up my CSA?

Thursdays, 4-6 p.m. starting June 27, 2024.

In Gunnison: at the train cars, 513 South Main

In Crested Butte: at Big Mine Ice Rink, 620 Second Street

Do you accept SNAP?

Yes! To pay with SNAP, please contact our CSA manager - localfood@mountainrootsfoodproject.org. We’ll register you manually and you can swipe your EBT card each week at pick up.

Do you have a work-trade option?

Yes! We have up to 4 standard vegetable shares available for work-trade. You’ll work roughly 2 ½ hrs. per week, helping set up, distribute, and clean up at the weekly pick ups, and in exchange, you get a standard vegetable share. Work-traders are welcome to purchase a fruit, bread, or egg share at the regular prices, or to work out another deal with our crew for additional hours in our gardens or farms. Contact our CSA manager.

What if I am on vacation, or miss a week?

If you know you’re going out of town, we encourage you to share the goodness with a neighbor or friend. What a gift! If you can, please let us know who will be picking up your CSA that week. If you miss a week or forget to pick up, please understand that we are not able to save your share or arrange another pick up time. But don’t worry! We will donate your share to a family in need, and you’ll know that you are helping support food security efforts across the valley. We know summers get busy and everyone’s out having fun. We encourage you to sign up for SMS text messages – we’ll send a text reminder on Thursday to help you remember!

WHEN DOES THE FRUIT SHARE START?

The fruit share starts when the first fruits - usually cherries from the North Fork Valley - come in. Some years, this aligns with the first week of the CSA. Some years, it is a week or two later. It’s dependent on weather, water, pollination, and warmth. We’ll stay in touch with subscribers to let you know if our farmers expect a late start. Either way, you’ll still get the full value of your share … your future boxes will be a little bit bigger to make up for missing weeks.

Can I visit / tour my local farms?

Yes! Here in the valley, the Gunnison Valley Producers Guild hosts one or two farm tours each year, with multiple stops at your favorite local farms like Gunnison Gardens, Iola Valley Farms, Calder Farm, Parker Pastures, Sunny Sage, and Mountain Roots!

WHERE CAN I GET FRESH FLOWER SHARES?

The past two years we’ve been proud to support the up-and-coming business of former Mountain Roots employee Alexis Taylor and Sundrop Flora. Alexis’ business is thriving, and she has her own summer flower share! Please visit Sundrop Flora for details.

A few of our partners that make this collaborative CSA possible!

Questions about the CSA?