A Beginner’s Guide to CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture)
What if I told you there was a way for you to get delicious organic, hormone and pesticide free fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and flowers for a fraction of the cost of your local Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s/Fairway/etc? Would it sweeten the deal if you knew that everything was grown and raised locally, so consuming all these delicacies would actually decrease your carbon footprint and help save the environment? And what if your pickup location for all these tasty treats was even closer than your average organic mega-supermarket? Would you be sold? Well, I was. That is why I joined my local CSA and here’s how you can too!
Step One: Find your local CSA
In New York City, we are blessed with one of the largest concentrations of CSA’s in the country! Check out the map on Justfood to find your closest location. I live in Williamsburg Brooklyn where there are actually 3 different CSA’s all within a mile from my house! I got to choose between the Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA, the East Williamsburg CSA and the South Williamsburg CSA. Ultimately, I chose East Williamsburg because I was impressed with the information on their farm share site at Hearty Roots Community Farm in Tivoli, NY and their protein partner for eggs and meat Awesome Farm.
If you live outside of NYC, and are looking for a CSA, the Greenpeople and Local Harvest sites have a ton of information about CSA’s all around the country.
Step Two: Understanding How the CSA Works
When you join a CSA, you pay upfront to purchase either a share or a half share from a local farm. Most CSA seasons in New York run from June to November and pickup is every week for the full share and every other week for half. Each CSA has individual details on pricing and pickup dates, as well as the poundage of each average share — my CSA has separate full and half share options for veggies, fruit, eggs and flowers, as well as additional options for whole chickens and whole and half butchers lambs through my CSA in particular. Each week, you would receive the fruits, vegetables and flowers that are IN SEASON — the very best quality produce that this region grows on a weekly basis. My full share of vegetable CSA runs me about $20 per week, which is MUCH less than I pay for vegetables each week. They say the average share is about 10 pounds, which is enough to feed a veggie friendly household of two lots of greens in every meal for one week — perfect! Fruit is $12 per week, eggs are $4.50 per week and flowers are $9.50 per week, etc — check your local CSA for individual pricing.
Step Three: Sign Up!
Select full or half share options for vegetables, eggs, flowers and fruit and individual pickup dates for any number of whole 4 pound chickens and full or half lambs (20-40 pounds of meat!). For most CSA’s, a small deposit is required and the full balance is due by mid-May, except for the meat where a half deposit is due at order and the balance is due at pickup.
Step Four: Eat Thrifty, Healthy, Environmentally Friendly and Adventurously
Starting in May, when the CSA gets rolling, I’ll be highlighting the bounty from each weekly share I receive of fruit, eggs, flowers and vegetables as well as chickens and lamb (that’s right—I got them all!) The interesting albeit intimidating thing about a CSA is the possibility of receiving a large amount of a strange vegetable you know nothing about. I’ll attempt to navigate through the waters of foreign produce and develop some delicious recipes with my CSA bounty that will be sure to satisfy your stomach as well as your wallet.
Now go sign up with your local CSA before it’s too late!
By Thrifty Gourmet on April 2, 2009 | 0
