Comments on Crunchy Chicken: School supported CSA

I did not like the CSA. It was way too much green...

2009-12-30T20:00:10.191-08:00

I did not like the CSA. It was way too much greens and turnips and not enough of anything else. After about six weeks, it went bust and I lost all my money.

I prefer going to the Farmer's Market, supporting multiple farmers, and picking out what I want.

I've had a CSA share for several years. Firs...

2009-12-29T14:06:46.009-08:00

I've had a CSA share for several years.

First CSA we were part of I wound up not liking (the pick up was in complete conflict with shopping at the local farmer's market, and the range of foods offered definitely had that... um... hippie farmer you-should-eat-this-because-I-say-its-good-for-you vibe.)

The second (and current) CSA is very much a farm family, with all the long-term practicality of a multi-generation farm family.

We get a "winter share" as well as the height of summer produce. I find that I plant things the farm doesn't, or I plant more of certain things I know we'll eat. The winter share is often a mix of what can be grown in protected areas of the farm through the early winter (think carrots and cabbages), and food that was harvested in the summer then stored (think squashes, and onions, and potatoes.)

I used to do the Full Circle Farms CSA but I quit ...

2009-12-28T22:42:47.331-08:00

I used to do the Full Circle Farms CSA but I quit when it seemed just about everything in their winter boxes came from Mexico or Southern CA. It was mostly pretty corporate-organic, as well. Lettuce from Earthbound Farms, and so on. Might as well buy bagged organic greens from Trader Joe's and save some money.

I LOVE my CSA! The farm is about an hour away and...

2009-12-23T07:39:09.673-08:00

I LOVE my CSA! The farm is about an hour away and once a week, they have a drop off point roughly halfway between my job & my home.

I paid quarterly - wonderful for me, as I couldn't afford the year in advance - and right now w no money coming in, I'm *very* grateful I'm still paid up for another couple of months.

Sometimes there is a swap box, and I confess I've turned in kale for corn on the cob (really, who would swap fresh corn on the cob?), but generally I just take what I'm given & learn to eat new things.

They don't do special orders, but I believe they made an exception for one person to not deliver onions, but exchange it for something else, b/c she was allergic to them.

Local food security is one of the things that is *very* important to me, so if kale & brussels sprouts are what grow in my area, that's what I'll eat. :)

And it does get easier. :)

And it's not all bad/difficult. We had fresh strawberries on November 16th!!! (In Canada!)

AND, they do try to grow a wide variety of food and varieties. I can think of at least four varieties each of onions & potatoes they grew this year, which reassures me they are practicing crop diversity.

"My farmer" & her husband are both children of farmers, so they have their own plus two family farms from which to pick. If there is not enough from their farms, they will reach out to other local farms and supplement.

She also lets us know if there is extra of anything on a given week & we can order that for extra $$. (Strawberries or tomatoes for example, for canning jam or sauce.)

Last night's basket was much of the fixings for a traditional Christmas dinner & then some: squash, cranberries, potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, apples, pears, pumpkin, and beets.

It's all as organic as it can be. (Some parts of one farm are in transition, but that's where they are heading. It's grown w/o pesticides/sprays, but just not officially certified yet.)

For me, it's perfect. I needed something local, organic, and easy. Everything other than dry goods comes from an hour away, and once a year I buy my dry goods in bulk from a flour mill a couple of hours away that really reaches out to local farmers to encourage and support their efforts.

My beans, oats, wheat, etc are from w/i three hours of my home & the mill also acts as a distribution point for bulk rice, raisins, and seeds.

They deliver it all at once (saving on transportation costs), give me free shipping and a discount on the groceries b/c it's such a large order, and best of all, there is nary a plastic bag in the lot. Being bulk, all the dry goods are packaged in double-layer paper bags stitched w string or in cardboard boxes! :)

Right now my CSA offers full or half-shares (suitable for 1-2 people or 3-4) and full year or eighteen weeks in summer (which was extended for an extra several weeks). I have a year round, full share and I will *definitely* be renewing next year.

The food is wonderful, I eat much better and more variety than I would on my own, I'm supporting local business, protecting local food security, and learning to be very content with what I have.

Life is good. :)

His in JOY

(: Sunshine :)

My CSA is the "credit" kind, where we pr...

2009-12-21T19:53:27.928-08:00

My CSA is the "credit" kind, where we pre-paid whatever amount we wanted in the late winter/early spring, and then, in the summer, we could go to the Farmer's Market or to their farm store and choose what we wanted from what they had available. The farm had just about everything that can be grown in my area, plus apple cider and maple syrup. I didn't have to take anything I didn't want or that I was growing myself, plus, if I didn't use all of the money I put down, it carried over to the next year.

For the first time ever they've opened their doors this winter and have available cider, storage vegetables, some things they were able to grow in the unheated greenhouses, frozen raspberries, and cider.

It's a great deal, and I wouldn't hesitate to join again.

We've had a home delivery system for about 4 y...

2009-12-21T12:30:17.464-08:00

We've had a home delivery system for about 4 years. We're on the fence - we loved it at first, but now with a 3 year old and a 1 year old, we're experiencing what someone called kale fatigue. I just can't cook my way through it every week, and my husband now refuses to eat enough kale and beets to make it worthwhile. The great news is that our farmers markets are now so much better here than they were when we started, so while it'll be a bit of a rough go in winter, I think we'll probably quit the delivery in the spring and just use farmer's markets, freezing what we can for winter use.

I should have added that the urban CSA drop off sp...

2009-12-19T18:44:31.983-08:00

I should have added that the urban CSA drop off spot was our house:) that made it a lot easier.

I also wonder how can it be a CSA if it isn't ...

2009-12-19T18:42:24.493-08:00

I also wonder how can it be a CSA if it isn't local? The only CSAs I have ever belonged to were with local farmers so everything came from their farms. There is a local delivery service from a business that sells farm produce from local farmers but also bulk stuff and produce from away but it isn't the same as a CSA at all. We belonged to a really small urban CSA last year that was on its first year and it was a mixed bag for us, basically we didn't get our money's worth for a variety of reasons. We will be giving it a second chance next spring.

I forgot to leave their link... http://www.family...

2009-12-19T10:25:46.418-08:00

I forgot to leave their link...

http://www.familyfarmfresh.com/family_farm_fresh_seven_sycamores_ranch.htm

Nikki B.

I love my CSA! We just switched from delivery eve...

2009-12-19T10:24:49.771-08:00

I love my CSA! We just switched from delivery every week to every-other week. They deliver to our house, and have a "never send" option for things like okra or tomatoes (that I grow myself). It runs all year long, mostly because I live in an area where things grow all year round. The next step in my master plan is to start growing more of the stuff myself.

Nikki B.

Wait, how can a CSA not be local? By definition it...

2009-12-18T05:30:12.006-08:00

Wait, how can a CSA not be local? By definition it has to be (Community Sustained). What you are describing is a Co-op. If they call it a CSA and ship things in they need to rename it!

Every summer. It encourages us to try new things....

2009-12-18T05:25:27.455-08:00

Every summer. It encourages us to try new things. I usually throw a few kohlrabi out for the deer to eat, but usually eat the rest. Our CSA provides an electronic news letter each week with ideas and recipes for the items in our box. I am already looking forward to those greens. Our CSA is a single farm, so I know everything is local. It is an important thing to do! Everyone should try it!

I had FC for awhile, after SPUD/Pioneer Organics (...

2009-12-18T02:18:35.212-08:00

I had FC for awhile, after SPUD/Pioneer Organics (which kept messing up my order, maybe they have gotten better now). I ended up quitting since it was not convenient for my to always come puck it up. While CSA's were ok, the winter ones tended to get boring fast and it seemed like I was paying a premium for imported items.

I've subscribed to Full Circle Farm CSA, since...

2009-12-18T00:56:16.335-08:00

I've subscribed to Full Circle Farm CSA, since it was the only CSA available in Homer, AK. Yup, it was shipped from Washington. And the price reflected that same-day shipping. And trucking...

Crunchy, you are right about stuff being shipped from far away--it is organic, but from South America, etc.

You can do a lot of substitutions for items you don't want and always "pause" the subscription to decide if it's right for you (it wasn't for us).

I could not find a CSA in my area so I started wit...

2009-12-18T00:09:24.186-08:00

I could not find a CSA in my area so I started with an organic veggie delivery service. I was expecting more variety and better quality. They did allow substitutions, but I couldn't choose what they were, so I oftentimes ended up with three bunches of kale, and it was often buggy. Even though they were really nice and always gave me credits, it was in the form of more kale, so I discontinued the service.
Now that I have a community garden space, I am quite spoiled. I can grow all my favorite varieties in the quantities I want, and in the right season. No more buggy summer kale here!

I also want to join CSA and base on the feedback i...

2009-12-17T19:51:32.985-08:00

I also want to join CSA and base on the feedback it's really fun to be a part of CSA. It's also good to know that schools are also a part of this program.

Full Circle Farms is great because you can swap th...

2009-12-17T18:02:19.967-08:00

Full Circle Farms is great because you can swap things online and tell them things you'd rather never see.

I picked up at PNA. But that's much more convenient for me than you.

We got some really nummy stuff from them!

Never participated in a CSA, since my family grows...

2009-12-17T15:05:43.861-08:00

Never participated in a CSA, since my family grows so much and would probably kick my butt :)

I did look into a meat CSA, but there aren't a lot of options around here.

Jubilee Farm in Carnation offers a "locovore&...

2009-12-17T13:43:34.681-08:00

Jubilee Farm in Carnation offers a "locovore" option for their off season boxes. During the summer everything is from the farm itself. I've been a member for 5 years, and have been very happy with my shares. http://jubileefarm.org/index.cfm

we've belonged to 5 different CSAs in 6 years....

2009-12-17T12:52:43.863-08:00

we've belonged to 5 different CSAs in 6 years. I like doing it, but i think i'm a minority customer - i wants lots of one thing so i have enough to can/freeze.

We split with friends this year and it worked out great because they like the veggies we don't like (turnips, radishes).

This post has helped me frame up one of my two New...

2009-12-17T12:08:33.376-08:00

This post has helped me frame up one of my two New Year's Resolutions: 1. Start a compost bin. 2. Eat more seasonally, in preparation for joining a CSA next year. By looking at what they're delivering this year on a weekly basis, I can menu plan around that. BONUS: I have menus for next year!

when I lived in the city I bought a CSA and split ...

2009-12-17T08:51:34.231-08:00

when I lived in the city I bought a CSA and split it with my sister - too much food for one family. Now I just trade and go to farmer's markets. But CSA's are still the best way to support local farms - they give the farms an infusion of cash when they need it, in the early spring. Some farms let you "pre-pay" and then pick out your own food, so you aren't stuck with whatever they give you, but can decide what you want.

I did a trial run with a local CSA, and really lov...

2009-12-17T07:47:08.399-08:00

I did a trial run with a local CSA, and really loved it. Great veggies, and I was challenged to figure out what to do with some new ones. I had to quit, though, because it was just too much food for 1 adult and 2 pre-teens to eat up every week -- we ate wonderful veggie meals, but I still couldn't keep up.

If I find someone to split with or a half-box (or every-other-week option), I'd do it again in a flash.

This was my first year participating with a local ...

2009-12-17T07:10:37.476-08:00

This was my first year participating with a local farm CSA (fall and winter only). It just ended last week. I was lucky that when I went to go pick it up, if I didn't want something in particular, I could say no and get something else. Very lucky! However, my daughter is the only one in our family of five who is picky, so that helps. I loved it this year and intend on expanding next year to the summer. And when I did get some new veggie....I went on line to get recipes...I now make the best BEET cake - truly sounds awful, but it is OMG delicious. I also froze a ton of veggies to be used this winter.

I've loved being part of a CSA. Sometimes we ...

2009-12-17T06:55:00.268-08:00

I've loved being part of a CSA. Sometimes we get foods that I don't know what to do with---so I have to get creative. Sometimes that ends well, others...not so much. However, the overall effect is trying more green leafy things than I would have if I'd been rummaging through the grocery store.