Community Supported Agriculture (csa)
The Farmers Rising Rockford CSA program provides boxes of dazzling produce to Rockford area residents. The amount and variety is comparable to other local CSAs, with offerings as dynamic as the season. This CSA is coordinated by our Youth Leader Program, an initiative that increases job skills for Rockford youth through community-based urban farming, business training and cooking.
Originally launched in 2002 (under the name Roots & Wings), the purpose of Farmers Rising Rockford is to build authentic relationships in order to motivate, educate, and inspire the community members to grow, get, and eat good food. The CSA program is a successful socially oriented urban farm business that increases access to fresh, healthy, affordable food and provides employment opportunities. The Blackhawk Courts farm and garden is located within Blackhawk Courts, a Rockford Housing Authority property.
Originally launched in 2002 (under the name Roots & Wings), the purpose of Farmers Rising Rockford is to build authentic relationships in order to motivate, educate, and inspire the community members to grow, get, and eat good food. The CSA program is a successful socially oriented urban farm business that increases access to fresh, healthy, affordable food and provides employment opportunities. The Blackhawk Courts farm and garden is located within Blackhawk Courts, a Rockford Housing Authority property.
Share Options
Honey Share
- Two 3 lb jars of local honey is $45
Summer CSA: June 18th - Aug. 20th
Contact us for an application.
- Half share (bi-weekly over 10 weeks) is $180
- A total of 16 shares are available
- 2025 Summer shares are sold out. Join the 2026 waitlist here!
- Full share (bi-weekly over 8 weeks) is $160
- A total of 8 shares are available
- 2025 Fall shares are sold out. Join the 2026 waitlist here!
- Give the gift of fresh produce to a community member at Blackhawk Courts
Contact us for an application.
Pick up
Shares will be available for pick up on Wednesdays between 12:00-6:00pm at Blackhawk Courts Farm and Garden: 1417 Meadow Ct, Rockford, IL 61104.
Questions? Contact Tedd Snowden, Urban Farm Program Director [email protected]
What’s in a share?
Each week you will receive a bountiful bag filled with seasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs - all of which are grown using organic techniques, then harvested and packed by Rockford youth! Shares are large, with volume and weight changing weekly based upon vegetable availability. Melons are available at the end of the season. You can also receive two quarts of delicious, local farm-raised honey for an additional fee. This season we will grow:
Each week you will receive a bountiful bag filled with seasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs - all of which are grown using organic techniques, then harvested and packed by Rockford youth! Shares are large, with volume and weight changing weekly based upon vegetable availability. Melons are available at the end of the season. You can also receive two quarts of delicious, local farm-raised honey for an additional fee. This season we will grow:
|
Apples
Beans Beets Bok Choy Cabbage Carrots Collard Greens Corn Cucumber Dry Beans Eggplant Garlic Herbs |
Kale
Leeks Lettuce Melons Mustard Greens Okra Onions Parsnips Peas Peppers Potatoes Radishes |
Spinach
Squash (summer and winter) Strawberries Sunflowers Sweet potatoes Swiss Chard Tomatillo Tomatoes Turnips Zucchini Zinnias |
What our customers have to say
- Just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying my CSA. The vegetables are beautiful & delicious. It's also an education for me to try vegetables that are new to me. One of my favorite parts is opening the bag. . .a wonderful aroma of "freshness" emanates from it. M-m-m-m.
- I made the spaghetti squash recipe for supper tonight. . . it was yummy! And knowing that most of the ingredients came fresh from Blackhawk Farm made it even that much better. Thank you!
- Dear Tedd, Yatte and Crew. As I count my blessings I'm thinking of you. Thanks for all the great garden produce, for teaching me about vegetables I had never tried and for some great recipes. It was a joy to be able to meet some of your interns and gardeners. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Thanks Tedd. We are definitely enjoying the CSA. The newsletter is so helpful as there have been some items I’ve never sampled before. We are taking them to ten different facilities within the Park District and everyone is excited.
- Hi Tedd, Just want you to know we ate about one third of the HUGE butternut squash this evening. It is delicious. We look forward to eating every last bite! Thank you so much for all the vegetables this season. Roots and Wings was a great experience!
- Just wanted to say THANK YOU to you, Yatte, and the team for giving us excellent veggies this summer! Only positive comments from us; we loved the selection, variety, and quantity of produce this year.
