Summary

Fruit can add variety and high quality to a CSA, but it brings long startup timelines, higher risk, heavy labor and management needs, and very perishable harvests. This guide helps Tennessee growers decide whether fruit fits their operation, choose crops and varieties based on site and market limits, and plan harvest windows by planting overlapping varieties. It covers postharvest handling and storage (cooling, humidity, ethylene), notes key pests and challenges for major tree and small fruits, flags crops to avoid, and provides yield and “time to first crop” expectations.