Get your share of local produce
Fresh produce from Stillman’s Farm of New Braintree will be available on campus again this year, with the return of a community supported agriculture (CSA) share program organized by the UMass Chan Medical School Offices of Well-Being and Sustainability.
The program is open to all UMass Chan students, faculty and staff. One CSA share includes 16 weekly deliveries of produce, approximately 3/4 of a bushel each week.One CSA share costs $515. There are a limited number of shares available. The deadline to order is 5 p.m. on May 6.
“Last year’s pilot program was so successful, we knew we would bring it back and make it even better,” said Lauren Orsillo, program manager in Office of Well-being.
Family-owned Stillman’s Farm has developed a CSA program specifically for the UMass Chan community. To learn more about the farm, the array of fruits and vegetables that will be available, and to purchase a share, please visit: https://stillmansfarm.com/product/umassmedcsa/
“Making healthy food available and supporting local farms is the main goal, but the program delivers benefits on many levels,” Orsillo said. “Last year, it was one of the first times we came together as a group on campus again. It was just such a great time to see people, to talk about the food, share recipe ideas and to reconnect as a community. There’s a wonderful social and community building aspect to this program.”
New for this year’s CSA program will be the use of reusable boxes for the delivery of each share. The boxes will offer greater protection for the produce in transit and reduce packaging waste. Stillman’s Farm is also planning a UMass Chan community day at the farm, for shareholders and their families to visit, enjoy the landscape, and pick some produce if they wish.
“I did buy a share last year, and I can say the produce was awesome,” Orsillo said. “It was also a little bit of a surprise each week, to see what was in the share, and it was fun to try new recipes and use items I hadn’t ever cooked with before.”
Shares will be delivered on Wednesdays to the main campus in Worcester and to South Street in Shrewsbury. Shares ordered by staff at MassBiologics will be available for pickup at several locations in Boston. The first delivery is expected in mid-June, with the program running through mid-October.
For questions about the program, contact Lauren Orsillo at owb@umassmed.edu or Suzanne Wood at growing.green@umassmed.edu .
