CSA = Community Supported Agriculture
Here's how it works:
A farm offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. Shares can be shared, sorry for the redundancy, by more than one person or family. So if you are uncertain about being able to use all the produce before it goes bad or if the price tag seems a bit steep, consider going halvsies with another family.
To find a CSA in your area check out this cool website:
http://www.localharvest.org/
You can also use the site to find farmer's markets, healthy grocery stores, and other eating establishments in your area.
As an alternative to the CSA, if you are in the Raleigh/Cary area, consider using Papa Spud's at papaspuds.com.
I just signed up with Papa Spud's about a week ago and I love it! For about $20 a week you get a bunch of fresh produce delivered to your door. Unlike the traditional CSA, where often there is no choice in what you receive, this service allows you to pick your goodies from a large selection of fruits, vegetables, breads and other products. They even have organic dog biscuits! Many of the items are local and/or organic, but not all, so they are able to offer a large variety each week.
This week I received:
Tatsoi
Turnips
Pluots
Beets
...as well as local garlic, oranges, salad greens, and local honey. Plus, I was able to use some of the items for more than one dish. I used the greens from the beets to make a light version of Alton Brown's Beet Green Gratin. It turned a weird shade of pink...but it was tasty. And I still have the actual beets left for another meal. Although, I have to admit, I don't like beets. I got them for Sir Cakewalk. So if anyone has a good beet recipe, please send it my way!
One final note on Papa Spud's. If you join and give them my name, we both get a little bonus. So if you sign up, let me know!
Now go eat your F&V! (Local and/or organic if you can.) ;)
Mike's sister did this last year and I don't think it went well. She was not given the choice in what she got each week, and usually it was a lot of weird veggies that no one likes and you can't do much with. Plus she got a ton of it...so like what do you do with pounds and pounds of beets? But it's a nice concept if I could pick what I wanted each time. Not sure if there is something similar to papspuds in charlotte?
ReplyDeleteJen F
Many CSAs do not give you a choice because they are providing you with what they harvested during the season. Since they are local farmers, they typically have a limited number of crops they can produce.
ReplyDeleteI recommend CSAs as a way to expand your vegetable horizon. It's a way to try new and "weird" things that you might not have otherwise purchased. You may like them, you may not. But at least you've tried something new and supported local businesses.
Plus, I would argue that there are tons of things to do with any and all veggies...you just have to do a little research sometimes (or ask the Realistic Nutritionist). One friend makes it a game. When she gets something in her box she's unfamiliar with, she spends some time googling and looking through magazines to find a new and different recipe to try. Sometimes the meal fails miserably, but other times she has made really tasty things that are now some of her favorite dishes.
Finally, if you are a little unsure about being able to use all the produce, split a membership with a friend or another family. So if you do get a lot of something, you can share it. You can also share recipes and meal ideas. Or, if you don't like beets, they might. So you can trade and barter to get what you really want over the course of the season.
To find CSAs and other groups like papaspuds in your area, I would recommend checking out the local harvest website.