Long Island 2026 CSA fairs coming to Riverhead and Brentwood

Farm stands and farmers markets are still a few months away, but it’s not too soon to be thinking about local produce — and planning to attend one of Long Island’s two upcoming CSA fairs.

CSA stands for consumer-supported agriculture. Members of a CSA pay in advance for a portion of the harvest at a particular farm; in return, the farm keeps the member stocked with produce from spring through fall. The system is great for folks who want a steady and value-priced stream of local produce, and it’s great for farmers because it provides much-needed capital at the beginning of the growing season.

Some plans are weekly, others biweekly. Some allow you to customize your box, others include options for add-ons such as flowers, eggs, meat, fish or cheese. Most farms welcome members for scheduled pickups; many set up drop-off points throughout the Island or bring their CSA bags to farmers markets they attend. Plan on spending $700 to $1,100 for the season.

Each fair should feature about a dozen farms, some of which will come to both fairs. Participating farms include Deep Dive of Mattituck, Garden of Eve of Riverhead, Golden Acres of Jamesport, Green Thumb of Water Mill, H.O.G. Farm of Brookhaven hamlet, Napolitano of Brentwood, Natural Earth of Manorville, Pendleton's Harvest Moon of Riverhead, Quail Hill of Amagansett, Restoration Farm of Old Bethpage and Zafferano Farm of Mattituck, Long Island’s only grower of saffron.

RIVERHEAD

On March 7, the East End Food Hub will inaugurate its new facility in Riverhead by hosting a fair co-sponsored by NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York). Founded in 2010 and, until 2024, headquartered at Stony Brook Southampton, the organization hit some snags since it signed its new lease in 2024. But after more than a year of building delays, said interim executive director Kayla Barthelme, "our commercial kitchen is still under construction but this is the first step in activating the building and welcoming the community back into the space."

East End Food Hub, 139 Main Rd., Riverhead, eastendfood.org. March 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

BRENTWOOD

On March 15, Long Island’s long-running NOFA-NY-organized CSA Fair returns to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood. In addition to farmers, there will be snacks to purchase and a knife-sharpening truck for all your dull-cutlery needs.

Sisters of St. Joseph, 1725 Brentwood Rd., Brentwood, nofany.org. March 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.