Local duo launches Better Than Baked CSA/B Box

Baked treats are delicious, but we’ve got a new CSA/B box coming to Chadds Ford that’s even Better Than Baked. A collaboration between OsoSweet Bakery Cafe and Little Thistle Farms, this combo CSA/B (“community-supported agriculture/bakery”) box includes seasonal produce from Little Thistle Farms alongside fresh and frozen ready-to-bake treats from OsoSweet.

Did you guys know community-supported bakery boxes were a thing? I most certainly did not… until now!

🍪 Now you can have some of your favorite Oso baked goods fresh from your own oven, even when the shop is closed or getting there just isn’t in the cards.

How the Better Than Baked box was born

For most of us, our email inboxes are mostly a giant snooze fest. 😴 We need them. They’re part of life. They’re fiiiiine, I guess. But email is not often delightful.

Not long ago, however, OsoSweet Bakery Cafe owner Tess Wolford opened her email to find that lovely needle in a haystack: a note from a regular bakery customer with a subject line that read, “Let’s be friends.” A delightful email! ✨

That initial email from Alan Karp, owner of Little Thistle Farms, blossomed into a monthly CSA/B subscription box collaboration between the two. It’s now available for neighbors to bring home bakery favorites, fresh produce, and a growing array of other local products.

What’s in the box?

Each monthly box includes seasonal vegetables and produce from Little Thistle Farms, along with ready-to-bake items from OsoSweet. Pastries and treats you’d normally grab at the counter are now packaged so you can pull them from your freezer and bake them at home on your own schedule.

💭 24/7 access to lemon blueberry scones in my freezer is going to be legit dangerous. 🍋🫐

The box will also include baking instructions for the frozen items, a recipe card for using the produce, and may eventually include add-ons like hot sauce. The 5-month pilot is designed to grow and evolve with the seasons and community interest.

How to sign up for Better Than Baked

The Better Than Baked CSA/B box is available via subscription. The 5-month subscription costs $400. Members subscribe and pay in advance (that’s the CSA/B part) and pick up the boxes from OsoSweet between 8 am and 5 pm on the last Friday of each month from May to September.

Already a fan of this jawn and ready to become a member? You can sign up at this link now. Alternatively, find more details at their respective websites (OsoSweet and Little Thistle Farms).

You can also follow them on Instagram — @ososweetchaddsford and @littlethistlefarmscf — for updates on what’s coming in each month’s box.

Why it matters

I’m kind of obsessed with local food economies. They enhance the resilience of our food supply, sustain local businesses, and bring the literal fruits of our community to our tables. Local food offers a unique opportunity to connect the nourishment of our bodies and souls to the work and passion of our neighbors.

The Better Than Baked box is a small but meaningful example of what that can look like in practice — two Chadds Ford businesses finding each other, deciding to collaborate, and creating something their neighbors actually want. What a delicious example of the local economy doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

P.S. You’ll still need to reach out to Oso to get those gorg cakes from Abby. I suspect those won’t be in the Better Than Baked box anytime soon. 🎂 We’ll leave those serious pastry chef skills to the experts.

More about the Better Than Baked box

I interviewed Tess and Alan to hear more about their plans and share about the program. Check it out to learn more!