We have a CSA arrangement with this farm and are extremely impressed with the produce we've…read morereceived. Farmer Rob Montalbano is an approachable and enthusiastic guy who rents two acres from another organic farm and pulls a tremendous amount of clean, fresh produce from the ground each week for his subscribers and his farmer's market booths. He also sends out a weekly newsletter detailing the ups and downs of the week, what bugs are getting him down, and which bugs are saving the day and eating those bugs. The newsletter also highlights a few recipes for the more off-the-beaten-path vegetables, helping you make the most of your weekly haul. I've seen the boxes of a few other CSA's available in the area, and I was very glad we picked Montalbano Farms. Farmer Rob has them beat, remarkably, on quality, quantity, and variety. Also he's very accessible-- if you have any questions you can call or e-mail him. You can find his stand at the Logan Square Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights at the Evanston/ Ridgeville Farmer's Market, and at the Englewood Farmer's Market on Thursdays.

We did this last year and it worked out great, so we signed up another year. These guys break their…read morebacks pulling weeds every day so we don't have to consume pesticides. There are many CSAs to choose from, and I'm sure most all of them are great, but I haven't had any issues with this one and highly recommend it. For those of you that don't want the commitment of picking weekly, bi-weekly pickups and/or have a hectic schedule, they just launched a program where you can carry a balance and order what you want, when you want throughout the season.

We joined the Plowshares & Prairie Farms CSA for the first time this year and it was fantastic! We…read morehad a choice between either a regular or a large share and we opted for the large. Our household of two eats a lot of veggies so this was a fine size for us. Many couples would probably be just fine with the regular sized share. The best part was getting introduced to new veggies we may not try if we just saw them in the grocery store. Dragon tongue beans - Yum! Who knew! Our pick-up spot was conveniently in the Vilas neighborhood, they also offer a pick-up at the Fitchburg farmer's market or at the farm. The farmers, Scott & Chelsea, were very communicative throughout the season and accommodating. Halfway through the season they invited all members out to the farm for a potluck and tour. How fun to see where all the delicious goodies came from and meet other CSA members. It was also probably one of the best potlucks I've been to - people really went above and beyond in preparing fresh, healthy dishes. Incredibly vegetarian-friendly too, lucky me! I was apprehensive about joining a CSA at first as I was worried about ending up with a lot of stuff we wouldn't use / want but those fears were unrealized. I was sad when the final week rolled around and look forward to next season already.

This is my third year being a CSA member. Not only is the taste of the vegetables amazing, but…read morerecently it's been significantly cheaper than shopping organic at the big box stores. I go to the farm for pickup every week, and I love the variety, that I can pick and choose between over a dozen different herbs and veggies, the extras they often have, the UPick tomatoes and beans and etc. It's also such a relief to know where my food is coming from, that there are no chemical fertilizers or pesticides in it, that it's not downwind a feedlot so no chances of salmonella outbreaks in their leafy greens, that it hasn't been sprayed to ripen -- the peace of mind itself is invaluable. They have three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) that you can sign up for (that often sell out early, especially the summer season), as well as Thursday farmstands in the afternoon. Also, at the beginning of May they sell seedlings, with prices cheaper than The Growing Place, and most of the plants I buy from there thrive in my garden with no additions required (I put compost in the hole and around the base when I first plant them, mulch around the seedlings, and that's pretty much it, by mid-July I'm getting more tomatoes and basil and etc than I know what to do with).

Well-established CSA with a pop-up farmstand on Wednesday nights. Organic produce grown all from…read moreseed resulting in 28 weeks of pickups from Mother's Day to Thanksgiving... wow! Why settle for a grocery store tomato when you can have these beauties??

Great communications and high-quality produce. Nice selection. Good recipes too!read more

Great products, they even offer some gluten free things. Fun to interact with animalsread more

I always purchase from them at the Wheaton farmers market. I love their soups and chocolate chip…read morecookies. I stopped by the farm in Elburn. They have tons of goats and give you veggies to feed them for free. My son loved it! There's meat, veggies, desserts, soups, and some premade dinners for purchase.

It really feels like fall harvest season to see their great display of fresh apples at Green City…read moreFarm Market, Sep 13, 2025 by the Lincoln Park Zoo. The apple varieties were unfamiliar to me: Zesta, Russett, Hawaiian, and about a dozen more. We sampled Hawaiian and it is sweet and juicy.

This is what the following cost me at the Andersonville Farmers' Market on July 10th, 2024:…read more 1 small cauliflower 1 garlic bulb 2 zucchini 1 carton of a dozen eggs 1 eight-ounce jar of strawberry jam Total: $30 Great produce, but their prices are hard to swallow.

Call before you go!!! The store was VERY limited. The prices…read moreare the same or higher than those in Chicago stores. For example: 4oz goat cheese was $9. That's pretty outrageous. It was only us (myself, 2 kids and grandma). It took me a min to find where the actual store was. After the store, we let the kiddos run on the grass and play on tractor tires. I get the idea of a family farm, but the prices should be more accessible.

I have been a member for 3 years getting vegetables in spring, summer and fall and fruits in…read moresummer. They even started a winter share with fruits they froze from the summer harvest. This CSA has a great variety of vegetables and fruits. They partner with other organic farms or local orchards to deliver their customers more variety. They even have eggs, meat, dairy, honey and jams. I would pick up my shares at the Grayslake farm every Thursdays and that was always a time I looked forward to. Always friendly staff, helpful weekly emails that would tell you what was in your share and recipes to use them. I had to move out of state a few months ago and this CSA is one of the thing I miss the most.

Decided to write a review after our CM asked about Vendors at the Market…read more Sidebar: see my review for Dane County Farmer's Market for specifics and the need for a booth/vendor map. http://www.yelp.com/review_share/FEH0i7SnTH81k451ZadKIQ/review/o6DC6EWgwStZAE6OMwQw3A?fsid=GTCJSlH5HXwreefwUzbdTg I like Jordandal. I know what I'm getting. Where I'm getting food from. They've had the same spot location (MLK @ the Capital kitty korner from Starbucks). They accept cards which most vendors do nowadays. They're there early like 6/6:30a. They'll email my receipt with no worries. I prefer their pork chops over others. If I must buy bacon we only get it here because why pay the same for processed bacon in the store when I can support a local and get the fresh stuff for the same amount. They sell by the pound as well and it's cheaper to buy the half cow or half pig and freeze it. They have a CSA option but they are booking so fast nowadays it's ridiculous. It's good to see folks demanding more for their money hence CSA's will remain booked far out. They offer frozen homemade pizza's now but I've never bought one. I'm okay with their steaks and ground beef but my top choice goes to a nearby vendor. So 5 stars for the quality of pork, price, and cut (chops are not too thick not too lean) 4 stars for the beef offerings and 3.5 on the beef prices.

Great produce grown by great people! You really can't find anything quite like what the farm grows…read more The selection of fresh produce is unbelievable and tastes 100 times better than any store bought produce- even from organic stores! All of the employees are so kind and helpful and answered any questions I had. I definitely recommend making Living Hope Farm your first choice for locally grown produce!

From the owner: Our Mission... The…read moreFruit of the Land is intended: *to create employment (thereby providing work, food, clothing, shelter and rest for our employees), *to provide high quality produce (thereby feeding many peoples), *to produce wine grapes for the Living Hope Winery, *to provide livestock for the Living Hope Village, *and to bless peoples near and far through the Living Hope Foundation. Our Growing Standard... Out of our desire to provide the healthiest food possible, we use sustainable growing practices. We are a "transitional" organic farm, meaning we value and use organic practices and are on track to be certified organic by our 2018 growing season. There is a growing need for healthy, locally grown food and we strive to provide exceptional produce.