We are no longer accepting memberships for 2008. 

If you would be interested in joining us in 2009, please email me and I'll notify you in winter as soon as open enrollment begins.

Entering its 5th year, the Fruit Share is a very popular option for folks who are looking for more than mediocre grocery store fruit.  Pickup locations include Eagle, Phoenixville, Havertown, London Grove, Cochranville, Kutztown, and West Chester.  Enrollment is limited, so sign up soon!  

"I have been thrilled with all aspects of my membership!"
-2004 Member

The Fruit Share runs for 12 weeks, starting the week of August 4th and continuing through the third week of October, and will include a variety of the finest fruit our orchard has to offer.  Selections include new and heritage varieties of apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, and Asian pears.

"Thank you for such a wonderful first time CSA experience. 

We rave about it to all of our friends and family and

look forward to next year!" 

-2005 Member

Some background: Farmer Ike's experience growing fruit dates back to his high-school days when he worked at a small local orchard.  Since then he has been growing fruit wherever he has been able to.  After starting North Star Orchard in 1992, he has been able to focus his interests not only on fruit growing in general, but on growing very unique and heritage varieties, fruit breeding (to develop his own varieties), and using the newest technologies in training and pest management systems.  The Fruit Share was started in 2004 to supply members with some of the finest and most unique varieties grown at North Star Orchard.

1. When will the share run? The share will start during the week of August 4th, and run for 12 weeks ...to finish the third week of October.  Although we have some fruit earlier and later in the season, starting in August enables us to provide you with a nice assortment of fruits in your weekly share. 

2. Where are the pickup locations? There will be several pickup locations offered in 2008. Specific directions to the locations will be provided prior to the start of the share. You will need to choose the location that is most convenient for you:

a. Eagle on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:30 PM. In the Eagleview development located just around the corner from the Downingtown Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Chester County Economic Development Council Building.

b. Havertown on Wednesdays from 2 to 7 PM . Located just around the corner from the Broomall exit of the Blue Route at a private residence.

c. London Grove on Wednesdays from 2 to 7 PM.  Located in West Marlborough Township at Inverbrook Farm.  This location offers its own vegetable CSA share. (You need not be a member of their CSA in order to pick up Fruit Explorers at this location). For more information about the farm, visit inverbrook.com

d.  Horsham on Fridays from 2:30 to 7:30 PM.   Located on Mann Rd. at Pennypack Farm. This location offers its own vegetable CSA share. (You need not be a member of their CSA in order to pick up Fruit Explorers at this location).  For more information about the farm, visit pennypackfarm.org 

e. Cochranville on Fridays from 4:30-6:30.  Located at our farm near the intersection of Rte. 10 and Rte. 41.

f. West Chester on Saturdays from 9AM to 1 PM.  Located at the West Chester Growers' Market at the corner of Church and Chestnut St.  You can do all of your other food shopping at the market when you pick up your share!   For more information about the market, visit westchestergrowersmarket.com

g. Phoenixville on Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM.  Located at the Phoenixville Farmers' Market at Taylor Alley and Bridge St. You can do all of your other food shopping at the market when you pick up your share!   For more information about the market, visit phoenixvillefarmersmarket.org

h.  Charlestown Cooperative Farm (for members only): Pick up a fruit share on Tuesday or Thursday, whichever corresponds to your CSA pickup day at Charlesttown.  This option is open ONLY to Charlestown Cooperative Farm members.  You must fill out our regular application and indicate which day you will pick up your fruit share.  For more information about the farm, visit charlestowncooperativefarm.org

i.  Quiet Creek Farm (for members only):  Pick up a Fruit Share on Tuesday or Friday, whichever corresponds to your CSA pickup day at Quiet Creek Farm.  This option is open ONLY to Quiet Creek Farm members.  You must fill out our regular application and indicated which day you will pick up your Fruit Share.  For more information about Quiet Creek Farm, look here.

3. What is the size of a share?  A share contains a nice amount of fruit each week

(8 1/2 to 9 pounds) for two fruit-loving adults (who each eat about 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day). If you have a larger family, eat a lot of fruit, or tend to do a lot of entertaining, you may wish to consider buying an additional share.

Personally, I could eat a whole share myself each week…but then I tend to eat a lot of fruit!  (Gee, can you imagine that?!)  Our experience has been that most folks find one share to be a fine amount for a couple or small family.  However, if the children tend to eat a lot of fruit as well, folks will either buy two shares or buy extra fruit when they visit us at farmers’ markets.  We do have some people who use essentially one share per person, and order accordingly.

4. What will be in a share?  Ripening dates vary depending on the type of fruit, so what you receive each week will change over time. Rest assured, we will do our best not to inundate you with any one particular item! We wouldn't want to have 5 pounds of ready-to-eat peaches on the counter all at once, and we're sure you wouldn't either! We try to make sure that you have at least two kinds of fruit each week (for example, peaches and apples), and that there will be different varieties of each type. 

Additional info about the shares: There may be special opportunities in November to order additional quantities of fruit to help 'tide you over' in November and December, after the regular share ends.  We'll let you know about that later in the season.

5. What is the price of a share? A Fruit Share in 2008 is $225.00

Read our CSA FAQs • Get a membership application

If you have additional questions about the CSA, please email us.

"Knowing that those beautiful peaches and apples
were in the fridge made me much less likely to search
for cookies, cake or ice cream in the evening."
- 2004 Member

North Star Orchard • Ike & Lisa Kerschner
Email: Lisa@northstarorchard.com
3226 Limestone Rd. • Cochranville, PA 19330
© Copyright 2008 • North Star Orchard