CSA questions

[withm]

Does anyone have experience with CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)? I'm thinking of joining one, with a farm that has not done this before. The pick-up time and location is convenient and the cost is $560 for the season, paid up front. I'm told the produce will be approximately "1/2 bushel each week and valued at $28-$35 each week." I'm having trouble translating this into quantities I can envision and plan around. The initial investment is substantial and there are no refunds.

Try as I might, I just could not get a straight answer from the farm representative as to what might be in the box on any given week. I understand that the contents and quantities will vary from week to week, but having a list that a sample box might include the following would be extremely helpful:

3# asparagus,
6 beets,
4 heads lettuce,
1# carrots,
1# radishes,
2 eggplants
1 bunch of daisies.

I realize this combination may not be stuff that's in season at the same time but having a like like this would help to put it into perspective and I would then know if I need to split this 2, 3, or even 4 ways.

I'm quite sure it is too much produce for a single person, and it may be too much for even 2 people to share. What I'm wondering is what a typical box might include - the items and the quantities of each.

So, if any of you are in a CSA, can you tell me what you might expect to receive in a sample box?

Does this price seem reasonable?

Is it unreasonable to ask for a list of the items the farm expects to supply overall - a list of the stuff they grow? (She said they grow "everything.")

I've heard that some CSAs feel free to supplement with other produce, for example, bananas and pineapples. This seems to defeat the purpose of supporting local agriculture. Has anyone had this experience?

Do your CSAs even offer 1/2 or 1/4 shares? Not sure I will be able to find someone to split this with - Neither of my neighbors cooks much, and most of the people I work with don't cook, or don't eat vegetables (!). Go figure?

What other questions should I be asking?

[paiger81]

I'm a member of a CSA charges $45 for a 'half-share' or $90 for a full share each week. They don't require a pay in advance, which is helpful for me because I only order every 2-3 weeks because a half share is SOOOOO much food that it takes forever for me to eat it. Click on the link and you can see where she lists what we can expect in this weeks box. I'm guaranteed some of all of that list. The full share's end up with double what my share is.

I know there are alot of other CSA's in my area that charge around $500-$700 in advance for a whole years worth. If you are going to eat that much it's awesome.

Definitely ask about exchanging foods. For instance, I HATE celery so every time it's in the box I exchange it for extra oranges or a pineapple depending on the exchange rate (the CSA puts a $ value on each piece of food). Also ask if they are an organic or organic AND local CSA. Some CSA's in my area are organic, but get there food from wherever they can. I personally prefer my food to be as local as possible, with the organic aspect secondary.


Hope that helps!

[OakLeaf]

I'm not a member, but a farm I patronize at the market has 10-week seasonal CSAs for $225 vegetables only or $325 for vegetables, meat and eggs or dairy. They say that "Each basket will provide produce for 3-4 people per week."

They do describe sample baskets just as you say. Their most recent offering lists as follows:

A Sample Basket

Purple Haze Carrots
Royal Burgundy Beans
Toscano Kale
Parsley
Green Onions
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Basil

An Omnivores Basket would add:
1/2 Dozen Eggs
1.5 lb Ground Beef from [another farm]

Could you visit the farm on pick-up day to see what current subscribers are getting?

[withm]

They are offering a 20 week season starting May 5, for $560. The farm itself is about 60 miles away, so visiting is not so convenient. Their local farm market store for local pick up will not even open for another couple of weeks. Since this is their first year there is no history to fall back on. I'm pretty sure it will be a good deal, but again, there is not much guidance on the quantities of food involved. Certainly I don't want to be in the position of having to throw out food each week (I do enough of that already.)

[Biciclista]

my CSA charged about that much for 10 weeks. And you never really knew what you were going to get. Last spring was cold, and the first two weeks were so bad (we got like, radishes and chives?!!!) that we got two extra weeks at the end of the session. One year we got a plethora of carrots. I didn't mind, because they store well, but others did. Another year we got so many tomatillos that I gave them away to my Hispanic neighbor who started to avoid me because she didn't want them all either.
Thanks to CSA, I learned what to do with Leeks and Rutabagas and Garlic tops. We finally quit this year as we can no longer share the food with our son and his wife because they moved to Canada.
The thing i liked the least about CSA is that sometimes we wasted perfectly good food. We could not eat it all especially if we did any travelling or (God forbid) if we went out to dinner.
ps 20 weeks for $560? that's great!!

[paiger81]

Thanks to CSA, I learned what to do with Leeks and Rutabagas and Garlic tops.

Yep, my favorite spring item is now broccoli flower, which basically is a flower that is super tasty in salads. I never would have realized that if it weren't for my CSA.

[spokewench]

They are offering a 20 week season starting May 5, for $560. The farm itself is about 60 miles away, so visiting is not so convenient. Their local farm market store for local pick up will not even open for another couple of weeks. Since this is their first year there is no history to fall back on. I'm pretty sure it will be a good deal, but again, there is not much guidance on the quantities of food involved. Certainly I don't want to be in the position of having to throw out food each week (I do enough of that already.)

I know people who get a full share and then share with a friend and split the cost as well. I'm going to guess that a bushel full of veges is probably too much for a single person to eat and probably even 2 people.

[abejita]

This is what we will be getting next weekend in our box. this is for a full share, which is $50...


Asparagus 1 bunch Info/recipes below
Broccoli 2 bunches
Cabbage, Savoy 1
Lettuce, Red Leaf 2
Parsnips .75-1 LB Info/recipes below
Squash, Zucchini 1.5-2 LB
Tomatoes (Regular) 2
Yams, Baby Sweets, Mixed 3 lb bag
Apples, Fuji 6
Grapefruit, Ruby, Rio Star (red) 2
Kiwifruit .75-1 LB
Mangos, Kent 2

[redrhodie]

I shared a share that was about $575 for the season, which I think was 22 weeks. It was enough food for 4 people. It was definitely a good deal. I am not doing it this year because I got tired of going to the farm, and I hate to admit it, but I loathe farm work. Working on the farm was part of the deal. I have utmost respect for farmers, but it is hard, tedious, awful work (to me). Time just stopped when I worked there. It would seem like an hour had passed, and it would be 10 minutes. It killed me. I so thought I'd love it. I was wrong.

We also have a nice farmers market in my town that I didn't take advantage of when doing the CSA, and I like choosing my produce. It's more expensive, but I have less waste.

[Kimmyt]

Many of the more established farms will put out an example list of their produce, but being new to the game this CSA may not want to. Lots of people don't really understand that when you sign up for a CSA you take on some of the risk of farming, of which there is substantial. They could plant a buttload of potato varieties, and you might not get any (or alternately you might be eating potatos until your eyes cross). A lot of my city slicker friends would get annoyed and would complain about getting a lot of what they didn't want and not a lot of what they did. The beauty of a CSA is getting to experience things you don't normally buy, broadening your horizons, and eating what the seasons have to give you. I find that in order to guarantee I get what I need (I never seem to get enough onions, or garlic), I supplement a bit from farmers markets or grow some additional plants.

But overall I have found that a CSA is a great deal. Much of what you get can be preserved by freezing, you just have to figure out how. In a good green bean season, I can freeze most of my beans and eat them through the winter. But a CSA takes some work as a member, in planning meals and taking the time every week to wash and prepare produce. Many of my friends didn't like it, but I made a ritual of the day after getting my produce to wash and clean everything, plan out my meals for the week, and get whatever I needed to supplement it at the grocery store. The upside of all this work is that you'll be leaving the grocery store with only one or two bags, if you're smart, because most of your food is supplied by the CSA.

I do think a full share is a lot for one person, unless you are really into cooking and preserving. I have two in my family and a half share is almost enough for us but then I do a lot of cooking and preserving when it's CSA time. Maybe you could post on craigslist and see if anyone wants to split a share with you, or email the farm and see if anyone has emailed or called them asking about half shares- you could get their info and split the share. Just a thought- and good luck, CSAs are a lot of fun and if you enjoy them you will never be the same! (I hate going to grocery stores in the winter, since we don't have a winter farmers market, I hate buying produce there an spending so much money!)

[withm]

All these replies just make me want to do this even more. In the summertime I'm practically a vegetarian anyway - unless a nice steak gets in the way. And I've done my share of canning and freezing so that's not a problem.

I've been asking around my circle of acquaintances to see if anyone might want to share, and I will call the farm again to see if they can't put me on a list of people wanting to share, or if they would consider offering a half share. This is a resort/retirement community if that makes any sense. Either you are a tourist, here for a week or a weekend, or retired and a bit older than me. We seem to have a disporportionate population of older single women for example.

[Pedal Wench]

The one I belong to gives you a weekly choice - $20 box or $30. I'm pretty sure it's more expensive than a local store, and I probably should have joined in the spring or summer, because I got lots of turnips, greens and "mixed root vegetables". For the extra $10, you usually got florida citrus and lettuce and cherry tomatoes - I like that they'll let me know what's coming in that week, so I can decide if I want it or not.

[Crankin]

We seriously considered doing a CSA, but even if we split it with another couple, it would be too much food. I cook a lot, but I most definitely do not eat that many veggies. And frankly, I don't like the idea of having no control over the items. While I am not a picky eater at all, the texture of some veggies makes me gag.
We have loads of small local farms within 6 miles of my house and one of the joys of summer and early fall is riding my bike to get stuff at the farm. One of them, I can walk to; it's about a 4 mile round trip.

[withm]

I do have a nice Farmers Market here on Sunday mornings - but if you are not there by 8am you will stand in long lines iin the hot summer sun at each booth to buy your produce. And there is NO bike parking there. (What's up with that?)??? But it's only a 10-week season for the farmers market - again catering to the tourists and weekend folks.

I saw the list of everything they grow at this farm and about the only items I would not really care for are kale or beets. I sort of look forward to planning meals based on what's really local and in season, and I like to try new things too.

But I'm still looking for someone to split this with.

[Atlas]

We love our CSA. We are trying a new farm this year that was just started by some friends so we'll see how it goes. The two of us just barely make it through a half share. When we'd pick up on Tuesday it meant soup or curry Monday night to use up any odds and ends. I bought 'How to Cook Everything Vegetarian' specifically to make sense of all the veggies we were getting that I wasn't used to.