Sunseed Farm

Best CSA I’ve ever participated in. And the nicest farmers I’ve ever met. The variety is great, the vegetables are of the best quality, and there aren’t too many places where you can get fresh harvested produce in the middle of the winter.

Incredible attention to best quality staples and occasional more exotic items thrown in. Sunseed’s share has changed how our family eats. The winter share has continued to improve despite two very rough seasons in a row. Beautiful, sweet spinach, fragrant bok choy (great in omlettes!), sweetest carrots on earth, and — our favorites — just great, pure, healthy potatoes free from chemicals. With spring starting I can’t wait for the amazing lettuce, garlic scapes, and more. It’s always a privilege to eat Tom and Tribly’s food.

I’ve tried a variety of CSAs and farm boxes over the years, ranging from stellar to truly weak — and Sunseed just might be my favorite.
The summer greens and veggies are wholesome and still-​dirty-​from-​the-​field fresh; the winter gives a mix of storage roots and sturdy hoop-​house produce. My favorites from the past year have been beets, kale, chard, romanesque (crazy fractal cauliflower), tomatoes, and cucumbers.
There’s definitely a Michigan cast to the selection; some months it’s every bit as colorful as the Full Belly Farm box we got in Berkeley, some months it makes me think of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s root cellar with a side of hoop-​house lettuce. Everything’s from right on the farm (unlike a «farm box» we once got that included bananas).
A full share is about right for 3 – 4 people; we used to get a half share (a full portion each pickup, but only every other week), and we now split a full share with another couple. We haven’t ended up with a freezer full of butternut squash (always a danger in Berkeley), but finishing the jalapeños while they’re fresh sometimes takes planning.
I usually pick up from the Friday morning Old West Side stop on Sunnyside (it’s hosted in a customer’s driveway); I occasionally get out to the farm itself for the Thursday afternoon distribution, which is just off Joy and makes a good dirt-​road bike ride.
Winter CSA in Michigan? I wasn’t expecting to be impressed, but I am.

So glad I’ve learned of the SunSeed Farm CSA! We signed on for their summer share a couple of weeks ago and are very pleased with their veggies. The kale is amazing, the spinach is huge, the freshness of everything is unmatched. I’ve never tasted lettuce like the lettuce I received last week, so fresh and full of flavor I’ve never known lettuce to have.
This farm offers a year round CSA opportunity and we are anxious to experience every season with them.
Signing up is super simple and prorated, so signing up now will get you a reduced rate since the weeks have now decreased. You can sign up and pay right on their website which is also full of loads of great information about their mission and how they grow the vegetables you are eating. They also follow all standards set by the National Organic Program and do not use any chemicals or substances that are not allowed under an organic certification, although they have decided not to become certified organic.
You have to taste their veggies to really understand the freshness and the taste, it’s unbelievably fresh. I believe when they say they strictly stick to the organic standards and am comforted to know that I am feeding my family fresh, healthy, chemical free food!
I would definitely recommend a full share to anyone, even if you only have two people in your family. It’s easy to go through your veggies in a week.
CSA shares are structured as follows:
Full Share– pick up every Thursday or Friday at your choice of two locations.
Half Share– pick up every OTHER Thursday or Friday at your choice of the same two locations. We currently have a half share and I am going to try and upgrade.
BEST CHOICE WE’VE MADE! Thank you SunSeed Farm.

If you’re up for trying some of Sunseed Farm’s yield without buying CSA shares, you can find them every at Fridays@SELMA or the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays.
The summer squash has been delicious. And the watermelon? YUM!