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

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Have a look here (http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?map=1&lat=42.399028&lon=-71.123138&scale=10&zip=02144) for a listing, and here (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/365476) for some reviews. At this time of year, many of the CSAs are full for this summer so you may have to call around to several to find one that's open. We're big fans of farmer Steve (http://web.mac.com/parkerfarm/iWeb/Site/About%20Parker%20farm.html) (warning, website is hard on the eyes), but I think he's full up for the summer.

Good luck.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

And if you can't find a suitable CSA that's open, Boston Organics (http://www.bostonorganics.com) is not a bad alternative.

[rising-moon.livejournal.com]

I'll second Boston Organics. The online "I do not want" checkboxes are a huge win.

[ravenword.livejournal.com]

It is rather late to be looking for a farm share -- many of them fill up in February or before for the summer growing season. Also, not many of them will deliver to you. If you're committed to local produce you may be happier just visiting your farmer's market when it opens.

I had a share from Land's Sake farm in Weston last year and liked it, but you have to pick up your share at their farm. http://www.landssake.org/

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

If someone is looking to eat locally and support local farmers, Boston Organics is not a good alternative at all -- it's just a box of organic produce from all over delivered to your door. IME, it was no cheaper than buying it at the store, but it did have the convenience factor, of course.

[gib.livejournal.com]

from Boston Organics' website (http://www.bostonorganics.com/faq.html):

"""
Where does your produce come from?

We buy locally as much as possible. During the late spring, summer, and fall, alot of the produce comes from Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. However, because of a limited growing season, difficult growing conditions, scarce labor pool, and suburban development, the organic wholesale market in New England is limited. As a result, a large portion comes from California. Tropical fruit, such as bananas and mangoes, comes from organic farms in Central and South America.
"""

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Yep, exactly.

I'm not saying anyone is bad for using Boston Organics or any other service that delivers food. Eating organic is a good thing, after all. But if someone wants a farmshare *to eat and support locally*, BO does not fulfill that role.

[gib.livejournal.com]

not that this point has much to do with the other, but i think it's neat that Boston Organics contracts with the New Amsterdam Project (http://newamsterdamproject.com/), a local company that makes local deliveries by trike.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I don't know who still has slots open, but I bet some do. Here is a list of some area CSAs that you can try: http://www.nofamass.org/programs/csa.php

Silverbrook Farm

[cruiser-moves.livejournal.com]

Silverbrook Farm still has shares available in the Cambridge area, I'm sure they would deliver to Somerville, too.

http://www.silverbrookdartmouth.com/csa.html#location

They're a family organic farm, great people!

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Word of caution: if you are just feeding yourself, or even yourself plus one other, you may end up with way more food than you can get through unless you eat a LOT of veggies. This is my first year with a CSA, and based on what I've heard from other subscribers I'm a bit scared about the incoming volume.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Haha, thanks! I had thought about that and was thinking of finding a partner to go in with, but I thought I'd look around first and see if there were smaller options. If you should happen to be interested in sharing cost and vegetables, feel free to drop a line.

[jennyelfenmass.livejournal.com]

I'm splitting mine with some people at work for exactly that reason.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

This is not just a plug, but trying to be helpful - don't forget the farmers markets! There's 140+ and you can shop based on your food plans for that week. I would be hopeless with a CSA, given the large portions + my weird schedule. www.massfarmersmarkets.org has the list :)

[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.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I had gone on a similar hunt. Much of the links in my post (http://fitfool.livejournal.com/143862.html) are repeats of other comments but I'll add that to this thread.

[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!

[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.