Photo courtesy of thebittenword.com at Flickr.com.
As we all know, homegrown organic produce simply tastes better than stuff that comes from the store. Even more importantly, it lacks any residues of pesticides, fungicides, and other chemical poisons—and of course, you get a wonderful sense of satisfaction from directly contributing to your own table.
But not all of us have the time or space to grow our own organic gardens; and if you’ve ever tried to buy organic produce at a store or farmer’s market, you know how expensive that can be. A better alternative might be to get involved in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a program in which you can purchase a share or subscription to a local farm. In so doing, you assume some of the farm’s costs and risks—but you also reap the bounty at the end of the growing season.
Many CSA farms require a little of your physical labor as well. The idea is to encourage a mutually supportive relationship between farmers and consumers, while providing a sustainable farm operation that produces delicious produce for a reliable and enthusiastic market.
Plantings at CSA farms are staggered so that you, the shareholder, will receive a bag of produce every week from at least late spring to early fall—and if you’re in a warmer climate like we are here in Dallas, the harvest may continue well into winter. Some lucky areas, like south Texas and south Florida, may even enjoy year-round harvests! The bags of produce you receive should include enough to feed a family of four for a week.
Currently, there are more than 2,200 CSA farms in the United States, scattered across the entire Lower 48 states. (There’s a smattering in southern Canada, too.) Note that while most CSA farms grow organically, not all of them do, so do your homework before subscribing to a particular farm. Incidentally, some CSAs charge as little as $10 per week (sometimes less), which is a great deal for a bag of fresh, organic veggies. Try getting prices like that at the local market!
Photo courtesy of themissiah at Flickr.com.
By the way, CSA facilities aren’t limited only to organic vegetables. Some also produce eggs, dairy, and occasionally meats (free range chickens are especially popular). For those of you handy with a loom, a few produce raw animal fiber, usually wool from sheep, goats, or alpaca.
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I can’t say enough good things about CSA… this will be our second year participating. What seems like a significant up front cost really isn’t, when you break it down weekly. It means I don’t have to buy much store produce during that time, so it saves me some money. Plus, I think it’s good for my kids to see where some of their food comes from.