Anyone doing a CSA?

[pocomom]

We are thinking of signing up for a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture this year. Wondering if anyone has experience of having a share? We're contemplating a full year, full share but am wondering how other people have found working it into their diets, using and storing the produce etc. We do a lot of meal planning in advance so I'm particularly wondering about coming home with a basket of food and then having to figure out what to do with it!

 

[bpesch]

I'm doing one for the 2nd year. It's an 8 week share that starts next week. The one thing I have to say about doing one is that you better love veggies and be willing to try all different types. If your family is picky about veggies, you may not find it to be cost effective.

I love picking up my basket every week. I share it with my adult daughter but I still find I have to get creative to not let things go to waste. But getting fresh produce, right off the farm is great if you're a veggie lover!

Mine works out to about $25 a week. Everything is very fresh, just picked and you never know what you're going to get. You really have to think in terms of your family, how they are with veggies and trying new things because if you are not willing to experience new things you may find it's not a good deal for you.

 

[StephMK]

Great question!

I'm thinking about it though I haven't shared that thought with DH yet. It would work out to about $20 a week in fresh produce for the season. It sounds good, depending on what is received. We also have the option to add fresh eggs & meat.

My DB did it one year and they ended up with lots of unusual greens that they had to figure out how to cook. I love the idea of it and hope people with experience will share their views!

Do you have farmer's markets near by? We do but I haven't gone to it yet. I wonder how the CSA compares with just picking out & buying from a farmer's market instead.

 

[msmama]

I look into it every year but it never seems like it would work for my (very small) family.

I know several people that share a share (either splitting the produce every week or doing every other week).

I've been given some extras from friends who do it too. Like others say, there are A LOT of greens. A TON of lettuce. More than we could eat in a week if we ate salad for every meal. They don't do many tomatoes in the ones my friends use because they bruise easily. Lots of carrots and other root veggies.

That said, if you think you can do it the veggies sure do taste good! For me, though, it's easier to drive to the farmers market.

 

[bpesch]

I suspect what you get also depends on where you are. I don't get much in the way of root veggies or lettuce because I live on the Gulf Coast and they don't grow well here. But I do get lots of tomatoes, green peppers and squash in the summer months, all of which grows well then.

I also get cold weather veggies at the beginning of the CSA because our growing season is kind of backwards from northern climates. We get the cold weather crops like broccoli, cabbage and greens when it's cooler here, which is early spring. They grow really well then. By the time our summer gets here, those crops don't grow well at all because of our heat.

 

[kgsmith]

We are heading into year #6 with our CSA. Ours includes herbs (in season), eggs, and bread each week. Organic meat & poultry and dairy products are extra. The first year was tough -- We had a hard time using everything up and knowing what to do with everything. And it took some time to adjust our usual weekly grocery trip -- Now we go to the grocery store on the weekends, after we know what we're getting from the farm. But after that first year, we've done really well. I've fallen in love with veggies I had never eaten before the CSA!

Our CSA emails a list of recipes every week. And, I bought a couple of good vegetable cookbooks. That really helped. After a couple of years, we can just wing it!

 

[bzkds]

I did it one season, plus some other "box" services where they deliver a box to your house on a regular basis. We get too many greens, squash and eggplant. lol Week after week, usually about 5-6 weeks while they're in season. Other things like peppers, etc, I just chop and put into the freezer. I have a large family and love supporting local farmers, but have found it's just easier for me to go to the farmer's market and buy the amount and type that make more sense for our family.

 

[sara mom]

We have done 2 different ones. The first (which we shared with another family of 4) was lots of green peppers, lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, and tomatoes. I could only get creative with salad for so long. The second one included an option for fruit and veggies. This was last year and in our area we had a very warm spring then the frost hit-so much of the fruit (apples and berries) crops suffered. No fault at all on the farm. They were awesome and would substitute melons (purchased wholesale) due to the fruit issues even though we signed forms about the weather (can cause damage to the growing season.) We signed up for the fruit/veggie share again for this year. For half a share for 20 weeks it was around $450.

 

[RitaE]

I really just prefer to drive up to the local Farmer's Market every Sat morning. I can pick up exactly what I want and the price is about the same.

 

[April7901]

I split a half share with a friend and have found it to be vey interesting. I'm not a huge veggie eater, but find myself trying to find ways to use my produce.

If advance warning is a concern, look for farms that send weekly emails. I pick up my share on a Sunday, but receive an email on Monday with what's predicted. A couple of times, I've had substitutions, but that typically means something like more lettuce and no cabbage, or extra snow peas instead of snap peas.

 

[pocomom]

Well I took the plunge. We're vegetarians so I think we'll manage to eat most of the stuff- our share includes fruits such as berries, apples, pears, and veggies. They said it averages out to 19lbs of organic produce each week, and cost worked out to 31 dollars a week. Which is on the high side, but I think 19 lbs and including fruit makes it still a good value... Of course once I signed up we found out dh was taking a pay cut so now the pressure is on to make it work! They do have a chart of what comes into season when and they send out a weekly email, with recipes so that will help.
I like that the kids and I will go to the farm to pickup too,and that the farm includes lots of pick your own items like herbs,flowers, berries and cherry tomatoes. The kids are very excited about it, which will help make them excited to try the new foods!

 

[hlg22]

I have a garden now, but the thing I liked about having a CSA was that it forced me to be creative and cook with items that I didn't usually buy at the farmers' market (or at least not in such quantities). The beets came with their greens still attached...so I made pasta with the beets, the greens and some goat cheese. I got such a volume of kale that I googled and found a recipe for "kale chips" made in the oven as a way to use it up. And then there was the time I got salsify, which I'd never even heard of... It was a great way to get out of a cooking rut.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I looked into doing this last year but decided against it due to costs. Seemed like a lot of money to be spending on who-knows-what-you-get. Just as easy for me to stop by the local farmer's market down the road and buy just what I want. We are also doing a veggie garden in the backyard this year, too.

 

[The Princess]

I am thinking of doing it this year too. We juice every morning and think it would come in handy Just not sure if I should do it every week or every other week?? If you get a box every week what about when you go on vacation?

 

[kgsmith]

I am thinking of doing it this year too. We juice every morning and think it would come in handy Just not sure if I should do it every week or every other week?? If you get a box every week what about when you go on vacation?

In our CSA, when we go on vacation, I usually arrange to have a friend take our share that week. If we don't pick up our share, the farm donates it to the local food bank.

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[lucky1]

In the past we have done bountiful basket, which you can opt in or out each week and generally about $15 a week. generally before you opt in, you can check the website to have an idea on what will be in the basket and they you can add to as well. I am not sure they were locally grown or not.

Now we belong to a CSA from a local organic farm and we get lots of greens and some pretty unique veggies. Lots of heirloom veggies. OMG... I have never tasted carrots so good. Only thing is we also get Eggs each week and we already have access to eggs from local chickens so we always have more than enough eggs in the house.

We at least have 1 or 2 meatless days... We do have some great salads with all the greens.

 

[berryinDC]

I am thinking of doing it this year too. We juice every morning and think it would come in handy Just not sure if I should do it every week or every other week?? If you get a box every week what about when you go on vacation?

Our CSA lets us skip a share by picking up a double share a week in advance or the following week.

 

[dromio42]

What I love about our farm share (1/2 share for 2 people) is that we can pick out what we want. There may be limits (1 pint tomatos, 1 quart potatos, etc.) but the actual limit is whatever will fit in our 1/2 share basket. so, If I want tons of kale, I can fill my basket with kale! yum. I did have to embrace the idea of making new veggies or veggies I used to not like, but we certainly eat healthier and it's only about $18 a week.

 

[hlg22]

I am thinking of doing it this year too. We juice every morning and think it would come in handy Just not sure if I should do it every week or every other week?? If you get a box every week what about when you go on vacation?

With my CSA, you just let them know when you were going to be on vacation, and they'd double up your box the following week.

 

[pocomom]

Our CSA lets us skip a share by picking up a double share a week in advance or the following week.

Same for ours, or we can pick up on the alternate day, or have a friend pick it up or donate it to the food bank. You just have to call and let them know in advance otherwise it is already picked.