What is a FarmShare (CSA)?

FarmShare is another name for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Members pledge support to a farm in exchange for a share of the harvest. It’s a partnership where both farmer and eater share the risks and benefits of farming.

We use “CSA” and “FarmShare” interchangeably.

What makes a Fresh Start Farms FarmShare unique?

Our produce is grown by immigrant and refugee farmers in ORIS’ New American Sustainable Agriculture Program (NASAP). Farmers bring experience from seven countries including Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda.

We aggregate their harvest — along with produce from other local farms and food hubs — to bring you the best of what our region has to offer.

With our FarmShare you can:

• Customize your box each week, keeping what you love and swap what you don’t.

• Add extras like local cheese, meat, pantry staples, frozen foods and other specialty goods.

• Stay flexible with share sizes, the option to skip a week, and pay-as-you-go pricing (no lump sum, no charge for skipped weeks).

What kinds of produce are available?

Each week you’ll receive a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits featuring what’s best in season in our region.

Because we are a food hub, our produce changes with the seasons and substitutions do happen. Our goal is always to bring you the best of what our regional farmers have available. 

During the peak New England growing season, you’ll see mostly produce grown by Fresh Start Farms farmers. In the winter and early spring, your share will include more food from other trusted regional farmers and producers.

Spring (March–June): Spring brings the first fresh greens of the year—think lettuces, scallions, radishes, and spinach—alongside storage crops like potatoes, onions, squash, and carrots. Look forward to short-season favorites like asparagus, rhubarb, fiddleheads, and mushrooms.

Summer (June–October): This is peak harvest season and when you’ll see the greatest variety from our Fresh Start farmers. Expect lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, summer squash, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, kale, beets, and more.

You’ll also get to explore culturally significant crops grown from saved seed, passed down year after year—items you won’t find in most grocery stores—such as amaranth greens, lauki squash, maize, garden egg, water spinach, and other specialty vegetables.

Fall & Winter (November–March) Expect hearty storage crops like carrots, parsnips, onions, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, winter squash, and pears. We’ll also include baked goods, eggs, mushrooms, and pantry staples to help round out your weekly meals.

Is it a subscription?

Yes. Our FarmShare is a year-round and continuous subscription, with no minimum time commitment. This means you will have access to the best seasonal produce our region offers throughout all four seasons! Unlike traditional CSA models, you can also pause or cancel your subscription at any point, for any reason. 

When you sign up, you pay for your first share up front. After that, it’s pay-as-you-go each week, based on what you've selected for your box.

What size FarmShare is right for me?

While every household has different needs, we've found the following to be a good place to start.

$35 Box: feeds 1-3 people for one week

$50 Box: feeds 2-4 people for one week 

$70 Box: feeds 4-6 people for one week

How do I sign up?

Check out our step-by-step guide or watch our video on Creating an Account & Choosing Your FarmShare.

What if I need to skip a week?

No problem! Just place a “hold” in your dashboard by Friday before we build your box. You won’t be charged for skipped weeks. Watch this video to learn how. 

Is your produce organic?

We prioritize organic and sustainable practices, but due to new federal regulations, our distribution facility must be certified to label produce as organic and we do not currently hold that certification. 

• Fresh Start farmers use many organic practices but are not certified, so their produce can’t be labeled organic.

• We also source from certified organic farms, but until our facility is certified, we can’t label those products as organic either.

• Each product lists its farm of origin, with links to farm info when available.

What do I do with my box and/or cold liner?

Please return your box by leaving it outside on delivery day or bringing it to your pickup site. We reuse boxes and cold liners whenever possible.

Do not return: pint containers, plastic liners, egg cartons, damaged boxes (spills, oil, rips), trash, or any other packing materials.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver to: Manchester, Bedford, North Londonderry, North Merrimack, Concord, Dunbarton, Bow, Hooksett, and Pembroke.

Delivery costs $10 per order (waived for SNAP/EBT).

Where can I pick up?

We offer free* pickup at these community sites:

• Fresh Start Food Hub – 150 Spruce St., Manchester

• REI – 7 Market St., Bedford

• Crust and Crumb Bakery – 126 N. Main St., Concord

• Merrimack Library – 470 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack

• YMCA of Greater Nashua – 24 Stadium Dr., Nashua

• Southern NH Education Center – 1E Commons Dr., Londonderry

*Free as long as the site has at least 5 weekly orders or $200 in total orders. If not, a $10 fee is shared among that week’s orders.

Can my workplace become a pickup site?

Yes! We need at least 5 subscriptions and a delivery time that works with our single-truck route. 

Email us at farmshare@refugeesuccess.org to explore setting up a new site.

What does a typical FarmShare week look like?

• Friday: Last chance to place a hold.

• Monday: Farmers harvest, we build your box, and you get your “What’s in Your Box” email.

• Tuesday (by 11:59 PM): Customize your share through our online market portal.

• Wednesday: We pack and deliver to Wednesday pick-up sites and home deliveries.

• Thursday: Deliveries to Thursday pick-up sites and home deliveries. You will also receive an updated order confirmation email with the final total that will be charged to your card.

How do I customize my share?

Each Monday (around ~4–6 PM) you’ll get an email showing you the hand selected contents of your box. From then until Tuesday at 11:59PM, you can add, remove, or swap items. Watch this video to see how.

How do I cancel my FarmShare?

You can request cancellation from your dashboard. An admin will confirm and reconcile any payments. Watch the cancellation video for details.

Can I pay with SNAP/EBT?

Yes! You can join our FarmShare and pay with your EBT card at our Hub in Manchester.

We currently have limited funding for Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), which gives you 50% off all fresh fruits and vegetables in your box when you pay with your EBT card.

When creating your customer profile, please select your customer type as SNAP. Note that your online cart total will not reflect the DUFB discount — your produce will ring up at half price when you pay in person with your EBT card, while non-produce items remain full price.

Please note: once DUFB funding runs out, we will no longer be able to offer this discount.

If the FarmShare is full, or I do not want a subscription, can I still buy produce?

Yes! You can:

• Shop our online store for pickup or delivery.

• Buy directly from Fresh Start farmers at local farmers markets.

Questions?

📧 farmshare@refugeesuccess.org
📞 603-732-0749

Fresh Start Food Hub Hours

M: CLOSED

T: CLOSED

W: 12pm-4pm

Th: 12pm-6pm

F: 9am-12pm

Terms of Service

Each order you place is a legally enforceable contract. If you fail to pick up your order after it has been fulfilled, you are still obligated to pay for the items you ordered.

We will inspect and pack all orders before distribution. In the event that product gets damaged during packing/distribution or is of unacceptable quality, please reach out so that we can provide credit to your account. 

Our goal is to provide the highest quality produce, and we require our producer to deliver market-grade products. The customer understands that since our farmers do not use pesticides or herbicides, fruits and vegetables may not look "perfect".