Community Supported Agriculture

[Bandito440]

During the growing season (~22 weeks here in the north), I participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Prior to the start of the season, I buy a share of the farmers crop and then pick up a box of whatever's ripe every week. The contents of the box change throughout the season as different fruits and vegetables ripen.

This encourages me to eat more of the freshest possible produce, cook with things that I normally wouldn't, and helps support the local farmers. All good things!

An example of what the weekly box looks like:

A full share in July likely contains:

1 quart strawberries
2 heads broccoli
1 head Napa cabbage
1 bunch scallions
1 lb sugar snap peas
1 head lettuce
4 zucchini
1 bunch dill
3 lbs. carrots
2 sweet onions
2 lbs. tomatoes (various)
8 ears corn
2 cantaloupe (various)
2 peppers/eggplant
1 bunch basil

They also have half-shares for households that eat less.

Towards the end of the summer, I'll get carrots, melons, corn, etc. Once the autumn comes, it'll be various winter squashes, potatoes, garlic, leeks, and apple cider.

Many farms also have egg, meat, and yogurt shares available.

Do a web search and find one close to you. Even in urban areas, farmers will set these up and make CSA drop-offs while delivering produce. Some friends of mine just signed up for one in Philadelphia. I enjoy doing this every year, and I'm healthier for it. I get mine from the Kent Family Growers.

 

[kozanoglu]

Nice commune life in a good way. Not really communistic. Nothing to fear LOL

 

[skyactiv]

I'd rather buy what I need when I need it. My wife goes to the local farmers market when it's in season.

 

[CT8]

there is not much nutrition in commercial farmed veges grown in depleted mineral soils.

 

[eljefino]

My wife does this. One summer she used a different farm and they oversold/ under farmed and we'd get our choice of three strawberries or half a turnip, LOL.

She found the place on facebook but they were rude in person. "No Substitutions!" Even me being the spouse picking up that week's ration, they viewed with extreme suspicion, they were expecting no-shows, or hoping, at least.

Now she uses a place with a "winter store" and it's mostly cabbage and sweet potatoes. Not that there's a problem with that.

 

[IndyIan]

Yep, a nice website/digital front is much easier to do than grow a couple dozen types of veggies and fruit... It can take years to figure how to grow one plant successfully.
You definitely want to see the farm and farmers in person before you sign up if you are counting on the food showing up.
Our friend has started selling at the local farmers market so we buy from her. She has started small but its still a steep learning curve.

 

[Bandito440]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
My wife does this. One summer she used a different farm and they oversold/ under farmed and we'd get our choice of three strawberries or half a turnip, LOL.

She found the place on facebook but they were rude in person. "No Substitutions!" Even me being the spouse picking up that week's ration, they viewed with extreme suspicion, they were expecting no-shows, or hoping, at least.

Now she uses a place with a "winter store" and it's mostly cabbage and sweet potatoes. Not that there's a problem with that.

That's a shame. There are a handful of farms that do it near me, and I've had good experiences with the few I've purchased from. They've all been small family operations.

I'll pick up a winter share too come November so I'll still get deliveries throughout the cold months. That's mostly root vegetables, winter squash, cabbage, and a few items that they've canned and frozen along with some leafy things from their greenhouse. I usually get a jar of jam or jelly in the mix too.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I think it's a good idea for people that don't have the means to grow their own. It takes a quality farmer with the savvy to know how to build, plan for and maintain a co op.

That being said, it doesn't take much of a garden to produce the amounts of your share. We've always had a garden and canned/frozen some of the excess (we also give away a lot). There's nothing better than opening a jar of raspberry jam in January, or having some sweet corn in the middle of February that was picked from your own garden the prior August.