Products listed on The Organic Food Guide may be purchased directly from the farms or businesses. Here is a helpful guide to different purchasing methods used by farms.

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct farmer-consumer relationship in which the customer buys a share of the farm’s harvest before the season begins or pays in installments throughout the season. Shares vary in size and price, and some farms deliver to central locations while others require customers to pick up on site. In some cases, CSA shareholders are expected to work a few hours on the farm over the course of the season. CSA options vary widely, but ideally, in all cases CSAs offer consumers a unique opportunity to connect to both their food and their local farming community.

Farmstand: Many farms have either a seasonal roadside stand or a small retail spot on site, where you can buy fresh products directly. Often these stands are seasonal or are open only occasionally. We have done our best to list each farmstand’s hours of operation. For the most up-to-date information, call the farm directly or check its website.

Pick Your Own: Some farms provide Pick Your Own options, where you harvest your own produce from the fields. Berry operations, for example, often offer PYO. Sometimes diversified farms will offer a PYO option for only a few specific crops. Each farm listed here that offers PYO has specified which crops customers may pick.­

Wholesale: In addition to selling their goods directly to individual consumers through any of the methods above, some farms also make large quantities of produce and other products available for wholesale. As a tool for restaurants and stores, we have also included this purchasing method.

Farmers’ market: Each farm has listed any markets at which it sells. For a complete list of farmers’ markets across the state, visit the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ list of farmers’ markets.