csa

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Hi all--

I'm thinking of trying to find a good farm share kind of thing where I get a delicious box of produce every week or so. Recommendations?

Thanks!

Comments

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

It's not so much the aggregate volume, its the volume of ONE THING ALL AT ONCE. Totally unlike the market, where you can get a little of this and a little of that because, of course, that's not how local plants work. I've been a CSA member for several years, and the first year was a little overwhelming. I remember one week getting around 8 pounds of tomatoes. Other weeks, mountains of kale and all its glorious siblings. Then four quarts of raspberries, but not the raspberries from California that will keep for a few days, the kind that must be eaten now! by the fistful. Prepare for dinners consisting of four different vegetable dishes. Also, the freezer and canning are key. I learned fast that almost any vegetable is good sauteed with garlic. It's a way of eating that takes some adjustment, but it's definitely worth it because vegetables fresh from the field are many times better than the best Whole Paycheck has to offer.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's dealing with stuff I may not know much about - in vast quantities all at once - that's nervous-making. I'm used to buying most of my produce from farmers' markets during the summer, but I had a little more choice about what, and how much, I was going to get! Fortunately, I like garlic.

[magid.livejournal.com]

If there's stuff you're unfamiliar with, it's worth asking the farmer (or whoever does the distribution). I've learned a bunch of things that way. Some farms also have newsletters including information about unusual produce.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on the farm, because with my share, we rarely got absurd amounts of any one thing -- certainly not when I had a small share, anyway.

But then, I would have killed for eight pounds of tomatoes and/or four quarts of raspberries!