Subscribe to your local CSA to get fresh veggies all season

*Vum Grèis farm photographed by Lugdivine Unfer for Issue 1 of Neighbour Magazine*

Despite many cloudy winter days still ahead of us, spring is already hinting at its arrival.

With the joyful birdsong comes a sense of reawakening and a chance to reconnect with nature. Now’s the perfect time to start preparing for the upcoming harvest season by looking up your local community supported agriculture farm and subscribing for weekly baskets of fruits and veggies.

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA for short, is an alternative farming model that shares the risks and rewards of agriculture between consumers and farmers. Instead of distributing produce through supermarkets, CSA farms sell directly to their members, who subscribe for the whole growing season. Members enjoy a share of the fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables each week, while farmers are guaranteed a fixed income and better prices for their crops by cutting out the middlemen. Many farms encourage members to volunteer their time, giving them the chance to learn more about where their food truly comes from as well as creating a welcoming community.

*Volunteers prepare the soil for planting at Vum Gréis farm - photo by Lugdivine Unfer*

CSA farms use regenerative agriculture practices that have a positive impact on the environment, not only restoring soil fertility but also drawing down carbon and improving the water cycle. One of the key ways in which regenerative agriculture differs from traditional farming methods is by reducing or completely eliminating the use of pesticides and heavy machinery. The mechanical tilling now standard in large-scale, industrial agriculture causes soil erosion and releases CO2 while synthetic fertilizers cause microbe imbalances in the soil and can seep into and pollute waterways. Regenerative agriculture focuses on promoting biodiversity and soil health by using natural fertilizers, hand-driven tools and rotating crops in a way that helps bring nutrients to the soil year-round.

*Salad greens at Vum Gréis - photo by Lugdivine Unfer*

A growing number of community supported agriculture initiatives exist in and around Luxembourg. We’ve put together a selection for you below (including those that offer something similar). Get in touch with the one closest to you to learn more about how to become a member and start enjoying the freshest local produce available!

Krautgaart

1 Chemin de la Fontaine, 8386 Koerich

Established in 2015 by three partners, Krautgaart produces a large variety of seasonal vegetables in their garden without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, supplying 150 households with vegetable baskets each week in Koerich and Kayl.

Sign up to Krautgaart for the 2022 season here

Zäitgeméis

6 Jos Seyler Strooss, 8522 Beckerich

Created in 2018, Zäitgeméis is a garden run by Vun der Atert SC, a cooperative based in Beckerich. VDA describe themselves as an initiative “made up of a volunteer team of consumers and producers looking for new solutions and projects for a healthy and respectful growth of the regional agricultural landscape.”

Members can collect their organic vegetable basket every Tuesday from May to December and choose from a range of prices, basket sizes and pick-up frequencies.

Sign up to Zäitgeméis for the 2022 year here

Vum Grèis

Rue de la Montée, 3321 Roeser

Vum Grèis is a CSA located in the commune of Roeser. The 125 members of the farm can choose to pick up their boxes in Berchem or harvest their weekly share of the 60 varieties of fruits and vegetables directly from the field – signs let members know what is ready to be picked and in what quantity. A range of membership fees exist, and members can choose to pay a higher amount to provide additional support and ensure a consistent salary for the farmers.

We took a closer look at this inspiring project and its founder Yves Diederich in Issue 1 of Neighbour Magazine.

Sign up to Vum Grèis for the 2022 season here

TERRA

Eicherfeld, L-2156 Luxembourg

TERRA is Luxembourg’s first CSA project and a cooperative composed of around 200 members. It follows permaculture design principles to create an agricultural landscape that mimics a natural ecosystem. Additionally, TERRA offers cooking classes, DIY zero-waste workshops, educational tours and apprenticeships.

Members receive weekly baskets made up of 8-12 types of seasonal vegetables from the end of April until December. Baskets can be picked up on Tuesdays and Saturdays in Bonnevoie and directly from the farm near Muhlenbach (Luxembourg City).

Sign up to TERRA for the 2022 season here

Fromburgerhof

Fromburger Hof, L-6572 Osweiler

The Fromburg Garden CSA project project was started in 2017 and has been growing and improving ever since. They harvest over 40 different fruits and vegetables throughout the year and use ‘true-to-seed’ varieties which ensures that their offer is different from the hybrid plants usually found in supermarkets.

Fromburger offers two membership options: members can either collect their weekly basket of fresh vegetables from May to November at pick-up locations in Echternach, Wecker or Junglinster on Saturday mornings or harvest their own vegetables directly from the farm in Osweiler for a reduced fee.

Sign up to Fromburgerhof for the 2022 year here

Les Paniers de Sandrine

266 Rue Principale, L-5366 Münsbach

Les Paniers de Sandrine offers seasonal, organic vegetables, strawberries and raspberries from their own garden as well as products such as honey, cheese, sausages, eggs, pasta and dairy from other farms and producers in the region. Customers can shop directly at the farm during their opening hours on Tuesdays, Fridays, and every third Saturday, or subscribe to a weekly basket, ready for pick up every Thursday.

Find all the details here

LetzGrow

12 Rte d'Echternach, 6114 Junglinster

Located in Junglinster, LetzGrow is a small grocery shop that opened in 2020 and sells seasonal, local vegetables from their own garden and greenhouse among other food products. Aiming to change our relationship with food and encourage eating local, the shop also offers a ‘Family Bag’ packed with seasonal vegetables which can be ordered on their website.

Learn more here

Happy Local

Happy Local is a platform launched by University of Luxembourg student Sam Abdi which aims to encourage eating local by connecting farmers and consumers. They offer a weekly basket subscription packed with organic, seasonal and local vegetables, as well as additional options such as local eggs, jams, honeys and bread. The baskets can be delivered to your doorstep for a fee or can be picked up in Esch-sur-Alzette or Grevenmacher.

For more info and to order, check out their website

Bettie

Um Bruch, 6717 Attert, Belgium

Just over the border in Belgium, Bettie is a cooperative created by engaged citizens with the aim of encouraging local and more humane consumption. Through their online shop, subscribers can place a weekly order of fruit, vegetables, meat, drinks and more, which can be picked up each Saturday in Tontelange. The products are selected from within a 50km radius of Attert, with a focus on small, sustainable, family farms and producers.

Learn more and place your order on their website