Our Mission
Washington Square CSA is dedicated to bringing fresh produce to our community, while helping the farms grow sustainable, organic agriculture.
The Farm
We source our vegetables from Norwich Meadows Farm, a local farm in Norwich, NY, committed to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Norwich Meadows Farm uses organic and regenerative farming practices to grow the freshest, most nutritious produce for our community. They maintain USDA Organic certification, New York State Grown & Certified status, and NOFA-NY certification, ensuring that our vegetables are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, using methods that promote soil health and biodiversity.
Our Story
Founded in 2009, Washington Square CSA is an entirely volunteer-run community committed to providing sustainable and local produce and products to our NYC community, and creating a community around our shared food values. We work directly with farmers to ensure the highest quality produce while supporting their livelihoods.
By joining our CSA, you get more than just fresh produce from our farm - you get a whole community in the East Village! Our CSA is a great way to get to know your neighbors through the weekly pickups and events. We host happy hours, cooking demos, and Market Days every season. We also plan farmer visits, and members love our annual CSA Smackdown cooking competition!
How It Works
When you become a member of Washington Square CSA, you purchase a share of the season's harvest. This upfront commitment helps farmers plan their crops and manage their finances. In return, you receive a weekly share of fresh, seasonal produce throughout the season.
Each week, members pick up their share at our designated location. You'll receive a variety of vegetables and fruits that are in season, along with information about the produce and recipe suggestions.
Our Values
- Sustainability: Supporting farming practices that protect our environment
- Community: Building connections between farmers and members
- Quality: Providing the freshest, highest quality produce
- Education: Sharing knowledge about food, farming, and nutrition
- Accessibility: Making fresh, local food accessible to our community
The Core Committee
We are a dynamic group of members with a shared passion for local produce and sustainability. We are always looking for new Core Committee members to offer their skills to help lead the CSA. Please contact us if you are interested in joining us!
Michael Blau
Site Coordinator
Mike is the "Chief Burro" for the farm deliveries each week. He was introduced to the CSA by his wife Sharon who was told about it from a work colleague. A vegetarian who loves to eat, Mike is retired (which gives him plenty of time to kill) so it seemed like a good fit.
Anh Nguyen
Newsletter editor, Volunteer coordinator
Anh grew up in Connecticut and moved to New York in 2013. She got her Doctorate of Pharmacy and worked as a pharmacy manager at Duane Reade. She then went back to school and got a Masters in Egyptology. When she's not helping organize the CSA, she leads product and content strategy at Brick Underground, and works on a conservation site in Luxor, Egypt. Tuesday pickups always lead to family cooking time with her two Pomeranians, Pom Pom and Toby.
Daniel Miron
Site Coordinator
Dan was born and raised in a town of less than a thousand people in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and fondly remembers many visits to pick-your-own strawberry and tomato farms in order to put up the flavors of summer for the interminable winters. He is interested in local/sustainable/ethical agriculture and husbandry, common-sense nutrition unmediated by ridiculous lobbyist-designed food charts, and egalitarian cooking featuring dishes suited for all diets, from omnivorous to pure juicing. He joined the WSCSA in 2013 and serves as a Site Coordinator.
Josh Spodek
Site coordinator
Josh Spodek is one of the site coordinators. He joined the CSA out of curiosity because people told him CSAs offered more variety and better taste at a lower cost, which sounded too good to be true. He found it a huge understatement: he describes our CSA produce as the best he's tasted. The CSA changed his views and practices on food, even his connection to nature and local community.
Justin DeMaris
Webmaster, Administrator, Treasurer
Justin grew up on a small farm in northern Maine, went to school in Connecticut and moved to New York in 2011. He's an engineer by trade, a breakdancer at weddings, and heads consumer engineering at Encyclopedia Britannica. He and his wife make the CSA part of their weekly ritual of grocery shopping, wine drinking, and cooking.