Comments on: Ask the Readers: Joining a CSA

By: Mo So

Mo So — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:23:13 +0000

We live in a rural agricultural area that, frustratingly, is entirely focused on “big ag” and large commercial crops (alfalfa, barley, feed corn, potatoes for big processors) rather than food. It was with great pleasure that we signed up for the first CSA to open in the area (last year). We split the shares with another couple.

The mixed lettuce and greens was wonderful and kept far longer than store bought. The carrots were wonderful. The garlic shoots and garlic were great. On the other hand, even though we’re big veggies eaters, we got too much food, and the same thing for too many weeks. I’m a fairly picky eater, and there are only so many times a year I’m willing to eat beets, red cabbage, radishes, kohlrabi, rutabaga and very bitter salad greens. Likewise, since we are big gardeners, there were a couple of months in there when we had more food than we could preserve/freeze/can.

I love the idea of sharing the risk and reward directly with the grower, but I’d prefer to pick the products I get in a Farmer’s Market type setting – except our cold-climate market doesn’t open until June and it is sparsely attended by growers.

By: Healthy Delicious- Lauren

Healthy Delicious- Lauren — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:18:53 +0000

I love CSA’s!! I’m trying to convince the hubby to join one, but he’s not a huge fan of the vegetables…

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:41:32 +0000

Wow. This is all wonderful everyone. Tons of information. I’ll keep everyone updated on how this project goes.

Thanks everyone!

By: Christina Avati

Christina Avati — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:32:52 +0000

My sister tried one in Virginia last year, but opted not to do it again. She got things that she was not familiar with, such as sorrel and green garlic, and other things that they found hard to use up. Way too many greens and herbs, and not enough tomatos and peppers she said. She did enjoy the eggs, flowers, and farm visits, and overall, considered it a positive experience.
I enjoy the challenges of too much fresh produce, but here in South Florida, I can grow my own garden all winter, which I do, so I guess I don’t really need a CSA right now, but would definitely join one if I were in a different situation. Many of the farms have websites with recipes, and the farmers will be glad to suggest ways to use and preserve the produce.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:56:55 +0000

I say they are definitely worth it. We love our CSA. The one we use is 100% certified organic and of course it means you are always eating local and in season. We pay $20 per week for a “small” box, and they have a large one for $36. The small box is good for my wife and I and our two kids. As the kids get older we’ll move to the large box. In about a month, between the CSA and our own garden, I will be swimming in veggies. The farmers tend to put their best stuff in the boxes because they are more reliable customers than the farmers market.

By: William

William — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:07:20 +0000

I was looking into joining a CSA in the Raleigh area and talked to a few friends who had been in them. Ultimately, I chose not to.

The quantity of food you receive can be overwhelming. My friends cook a lot but could not keep up with the pace of food coming in. They hated to see food spoil, but it seemed inevitable (they gave a lot away).

Also, the lack of control over what you receive became annoying. At first they thought it was fun because they were forced to use a seemingly random assortment of ultra fresh produce. But that quickly got old as planning meals in advance, organizing a dinner party with a specific menu, or even satisfying a random craving meant they had to go out and get ingredients at the expense of letting something they already paid for sit around unused.

I love the concept, but for a single guy or a couple it seemed to be hard to effectively use all the food. Perhaps if you had a family to feed or if you did it with a few friends it may be a better deal.

Really, the deal breaker for me was that I’d likely have food in my house spoil before I used it. I’d rather just go to my local farmers market (or directly to the farm) and get what I need as I need it.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:06:28 +0000

I checked into these a month or so ago, and read mixed reviews about the local DC CSA’s. Are you going to pick one with a local pick up or delivery or are you willing to go to the actual farms? (most are kind of far from the city I think) You can be the guinea pig – keep us posted!

By: Rex

Rex — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:34:31 +0000

Nick, that sounds awesome. If you find a good one, let me know.

By: Vernon Mauery

Vernon Mauery — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:20:03 +0000

Last year we picked a CSA and loved it. We chose Sun Gold Farm because they had a good selection of the types of foods we wanted. There were several to choose from, each with different food type options, food quantity options, delivery options, and prices. So you really have to pick what is most important to you. We love that we pick ours up at the local farmer's market every weekend. The price, $375 for 18 weeks works out to about $21/week. This is more than we would spend in one week on produce from Mexico and Peru in any given week, but it sure feels good to support your local agriculture, sustainable farming, and get fresh produce in return. Plus, during the peak produce season, we come home with much more vegetable than we would ever buy at the grocery store. So some days in the summer, our family goes vegetarian. We eat like kings. Some of the items that store well, we will preserve, and those that don't have get priority access to our menu. We also love that we get 10% off any other produce that Sun Gold Farm sells at the farmers market. Last year, at the end of the season, I stocked up on winter squash, something I really missed from my childhood when we grew it ourselves. Last year, we had zucchini and rhubarb coming out our ears, so we ate lots of both and put some in the freezer so we can have zucchini bread and strawberry rhubarb crisp in the dead of winter. Mmmmmm. Support your local CSA and add some veg to your life.

By: Mama Taney

Mama Taney — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:44:03 +0000

I’d give it a go as well. I like some of the above tips about being aware of what you’ll get at what time of the year, but that is one really good way to reconnect with your food. Eating seasonally can be quite a challenge at first, but it gets more and more rewarding each year. It also helps you learn more about putting food by. That is something else that seems to get more and more rewarding each year.
We’re urban homesteaders, so we grow our own. If you have any space to grow, I’d encourage you to try it as well, even if it is only a couple plants. You can splurge and go for some heirloom (exotic to our mono-cultured food minds) varities as well. We’ve become truly addicted to Cherokee Chocolate tomatoes. :)