BankerGirl

Posted by Heidi on February 18th, 2008 in frugal, household spending, weight loss

I just sent in my application to join a CSA (I have been on the wait-list for this particular CSA since I moved into my home two years ago - and this year they are doing a lottery for new members).  I am extremely excited about having an opportunity to support local producers and improve my health by adding more fresh vegetables to my diet.

What is a CSA?

In general, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) consists of a community of individuals or families who pledge support to a farm operation. The farmland becomes, in some fashion, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

Typically, members or “shareholders” of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing
season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests.

By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

- Adapted from the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, USDA

Reasons I want participate in a CSA

1.  I want to cook at home more.

The real treat of having fresh, organic food is the flavor, color, texture and freshness. Taking the time to prepare and eat it (or chop it, roast it, freeze it for winter) - especially with family and friends - is important.  I love to cook and am open to doing it much more often so that I eat (and look and feel) better.

2.  I am open to seasonal and local eating.

I grew up on a farm, so I am used to seasonal variety when it comes to produce.  The CSA I have signed up for grows a variety of crops. As the season progresses, one crop comes into being, while another fades away, and some crops just do better (or worse) depending on temperatures, rainfall, and natural insect and disease populations.

For example, some years when high temperatures are lower than average, the farm might be able to deliver lettuce and spinach twice as often as a ‘hot’ year.  According to my CSA’s web site, last season they had a lot of summer squash and very little spinach. Each year is different. The important thing to keep annual variations in mind to be willing to eat what naturally does well according to the environment and time of the year.

3.  I want to try new produce.

Based on the crop list, we’ll be receiving some vegetables that I haven’t cooked with before (chards and beets, for example).  I am looking forward to meeting some of the other CSA members and finding out how they prepare some of the items I’m not familiar with. 

4.  I get more for my money.

I am trying to make more frugal food choices.  The CSA estimates I’ll save 20%, or more by purchasing produce this way versus visiting the grocery store, plus part of the share cost goes toward maintaining and improving biological diversity, such as prairie reconstruction, tree and shrub planting, building bird and bat houses, among other activities. The couple that owns the farm views production as a whole cycle, rather than strictly as production output. In the short-term, they deliver less food to make room for cover crops to build soil and long-term fertility.  I really like this approach to farming and value the (lack of) environmental impact.  Michael Pollard would approve.

5. I want to be a part of and support a different kind of food system.
Each farm is different, and each one is a small part of an alternative food system, but what most farms are doing is very consequential and real to us as individuals. By making a CSA work well, both farmers and eaters can

• Reconnect to the land
• Keep food dollars in our communities,
• Support sane, local, organic agriculture
• Be an example of how we can connect our values to our actions.

I am also looking forward to meeting other like-minded individuals and learn about other things they may be doing to support sustainable agriculture and the “buy local” movement.

What does it cost?

Nauturally, the price per share varies by CSA.  For 19 weeks of food (enough to feed a family of four, we’ve been told) from the CSA I have applied for, the cost is $425.  This seemed like a lot to me until I looked up my farmers’ market spending for 2007 ($1050).  I will still visit the farmers’ market for local, organic meat, fresh fruits, and flowers, but I figure I can cut my farmers’ market spending by a third by going the CSA route.

Want to participate?

Visit Local Harvest to learn more about CSAs and find the CSA nearest to you.

Stumble it!