Sign ups for LUCSA are open! Experience our shares packed full of locally sourced, seasonal products all year round.

Email LUCSA@TheUrbanCanopy.org with any questions.

LUCSA FAQs

1. What is LUCSA?
   LUCSA stands for Local Unified Community Supported Agriculture. We deliver a box of locally-sourced produce weekly throughout the year in the greater Chicagoland area.

2. When will sign-ups open or close?

   Sign-ups are now open year round!

3. When does LUCSA operate throughout the year?
   Since 2024, LUCSA has been open year round! Each season is specialized to bring you different kinds of locally sourced foods. In the summer, we supply members with all of the seasonal fruits and veggies through the heart of the growing season. In the winter, we supply members with pantry items like rice, beans and oats, value-added products like tofu, seitan and nuts, and jarred goods from our Processing kitchen - on top of all of the soup season staple root veggies, of course. You can check our Instagram for photos of LUCSA shares throughout the seasons.

4. How does payment work?
   LUCSA operates as an ongoing membership - unless cancelled, memberships will automatically renew every 4 weeks. This reduces the hassle of repeated sign-ups throughout the year! Members are charged once every 4 weeks instead of weekly, biweekly or monthly. See more info on billing below.

What comes in each box?

Every week, LUCSA shares will include 10 items comprising; bread, a dozen eggs, a bag of mushrooms, a beverage and 6 local produce items. Produce will vary from week to week based on what is in season, which means you get to experience produce at its peak and prepare meals according to seasonality!

For most of our members, a share typically will last about one week for two people to make anywhere from 4 to 8 dishes. Members should expect to continue purchasing meat, dairy, and grains to supplement the share and support their local farmers market with some additional produce purchases.

What’s the cost of membership?

There are 2 choices that you need to make about your membership. You will be billed every 4 weeks for each plan.

1. Full share member — receive weekly deliveries — $55/share (Billed at $220 every 4 weeks)

2. Half share member — receive bi-weekly deliveries — $60/share (Billed at $120 every 4 weeks)

LINK MATCH

We also offer LINK Match for anyone purchasing LUCSA with an EBT card. Each share is valued at $55 and will cost you $27.50 on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. You also can use the LINK Match for eligible items available in our Add-On Shop! Just select LINK as your preferred payment method and we will contact you with more information for the season! Please email lucsa@theurbancanopy.org if you have any questions about using EBT.

Link Match is brought to you by Link Up Illinois. Link Up Illinois is making healthy, local, farm-fresh foods more affordable and accessible by doubling the value of Link purchases at farmers markets, farm stands, food co-ops, and independent grocery and corner stores across Illinois. Link Up Illinois is a program of Experimental Station. You can learn more at www.linkupil.org.

How do I become a member?

1. Read through our membership policies.

2. Sign up for LUCSA here. If you are within our delivery zone, you will be able to sign up. If you aren’t, you can always reach out and ask us if we could make an exception. If you are an interested LINK member, signup here instead.

3. You will first sign up for share type and meat subscriptions. After you check out, you will be directed to a form where we will collect information on your share preferences, allergies and more.

4. Based on your address and subscription frequency you will be placed on the next available route for your location. This can be 1 or 2 weeks out from your signup, depending when the signup occurred. During this time your account will be put in “Trialing” status until the first delivery and payment date. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a free trial period as you will not receive any deliveries during this time, but the account status that will then update to “Active” once the first delivery is completed.

5. Check for your welcome email. This will include more detailed information about your membership schedule and services. You can also find information about your shares and delivery dates within your member portal!

Weekly Add Ons

Finn’s Ranch - Eggs & Meat Shares

LUCSA members can subscribe to meat shares, duck eggs and also extra chicken eggs from Finn’s Ranch delivered with their shares on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis.

Finn's Ranch is a family farm located in Buchanan, Michigan with Grass Fed Certified Pastures, Animal Welfare certification, and MOSA organic certified pastures. Sean Finn and his wife Alex, along with their sons, Nico and Matthew, have been supplying our shares with eggs and meat for the several years!

Select your preferred meat share type and schedule when signing up for LUCSA. Options include chicken, beef and pork shares, as well as a combo share including several assorted items. Many of these items are also available week-to-week via our add-on form while supplies last.

We also offer smaller individual cuts and other products as add-ons based on availability, including brats, ground beef, burger patties, chorizo and more.

LUCSA Member Testimonials

Additional LUCSA FAQs

When will I receive my share?
Members will receive their share between 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on Fridays. Delivery days are assigned based on geographic regions and can not be selected by a member. Please note delivery times change based on routes that week, traffic, construction or weather conditions. Members can opt in to receive SMS and email delivery notifications and we have a real time tracking ETA tool that can be accessed via the member portal.

Can I receive my share on a different delivery date because I’m on vacation/out of town?
With enough notice, we can work to accommodate changes. We ask that all requests be submitted by Monday at 12pm the week of your scheduled delivery. Requests received after this cutoff cannot be guaranteed. Common solutions are:

1. Delivering to a friend/neighbor at your residence or within your delivery zone.

2. If you receive biweekly deliveries, we can shift your delivery to a week you would normally not receive a share.

3. We can arrange for you to pick up the share from our warehouse in Pilsen.

4. As a final resort we can donate your share to the Pilsen Food Pantry who will deliver it to a family needing food support.

What if I need to cancel my delivery after the cutoff?
We will do everything we can to make adjustments to routes and shares. However, please note that produce is purchased based on expected number of shares each week and mainly consists of perishable items. For this reason, we reserve the right to donate any last minute share cancellations at the members cost.

What am I getting as a substitute for a listed allergy?
You will receive more of another item in the share or a substitute like item (i.e. a coffee allergy will get a different beverage, a veggie allergy will get a different vegetable). If there are items you would prefer not to receive, please list them in the allergy section (i.e. if you don’t drink alcohol, put ‘alcohol’, or put ‘radishes’ if you tend not to eat these and they go to waste). Feel free to reach out to us during the season to edit these preferences as well.

How do I add, remove or update a meat share subscription?
You can email us at lucsa@theurbancanopy.org and we can help you update your current subscription, add a new plan or remove an existing one.

When will I stop receiving LUCSA shares?
Your membership will automatically renew every 4 weeks. Once you are ready to stop receiving LUCSA shares, members reach out to us via email or submit a request through your member portal. This must be done 2 weeks ahead of your next cycle.

Feel free to email LUCSA@TheUrbanCanopy.org with any further questions!