Guest guest Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Devika, I do feel like a CSA is such a luxury, one I'm so grateful for . Red cabbage and beet borscht sounds interesting, I'll look for recipes, thanks! Heather There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein ________________________________ devika Hill <devikahill Fri, November 20, 2009 6:43:02 AM CSA's Heather, So happy to see a fellow CSA member. I was spoiled as a child as we were fed from my folk's organic garden. I was thrilled to find a local garden and fresh local produce that didn't have to be shipped across country. Good for our health and that of the environment. I wish I could help with the red cabbage but I haven't yet unpacked my cookbooks from a recent move. I have had a delicious red cabbage and beet borscht, however. Good Luck. Devika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 We have supported CSA s for years, but it nay or may not be cheaper. You assume some of the growing season risk. We have had serveral different farmers over the years and some are more adept at dealing with different issues from nature. We like that we can visit the farm and help the family farm afford to do things like green houses which will enable them to have a longer growing season and grow things they may not have been able to before. Every CSA is a little different, but I always think it is worth exploring. Linda My vegan blog: http://veganlinda.blogspot.com/ My business: http://triballife.net/ http://triballifeinc.blogspot.com/ My car free blog: http://cucarfree.blogspot.com/ Our veg radio show: http://fftradio.blogspot.com/ On Feb 25, 2010, at 11:29 AM, <admartin5 wrote: I was wondering if any one has ever joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Whole Foods is quite a hike for me and their prices seem to be increasing so I was looking for a way to get some organic food locally at a hopefully lower price. I was considering joining an organic CSA but am a little skeptical. The following website list gives more info about CSA's and where to find them in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Antoinette Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Yes! We love our CSA (we're in San Diego). I love the fact that we are eating seasonally and locally and are supporting small, local farmers. I love that I know where our food comes from and it's always fresh and organic. I also love that I've tried many fruits & veggies that I, otherwise, probably would have never tried if they hadn't been part of my weekly box. Lastly, I love the fact that it also saved me time at the grocery store by having to spend significantly reduced time in the produce section. I would highly recommend joining one! HTH, Erikka On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 9:29 AM, <admartin5 wrote: > > > I was wondering if any one has ever joined a Community Supported > Agriculture (CSA) program. > > Whole Foods is quite a hike for me and their prices seem to be increasing > so I was looking for a way to get some organic food locally at a hopefully > lower price. > > I was considering joining an organic CSA but am a little skeptical. > > The following website list gives more info about CSA's and where to find > them in your area: > > http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ > > Antoinette Martin > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Hi Antoinette, Oh, we love our CSA! We belonged to the same CSA in college (18 years ago), and enjoyed it for years, then took a break when we bought our house after college and idealistically thought we'd grow all our vegetables . upon the realization that we are not farmers and our suburban plot does not grow everything easily yet, we rejoined the CSA and have enjoyed it again for many years! Just like Erikka noted, I love knowing the farmer, supporting local organic farming, being part of the CSA community, trying new local veggies, and eating in season. It's so much fun. And each week's box is like opening a gift - it's really exciting to see that minute what we'll be eating all week. And it sort of makes cooking easier - we just pick a veggie that everyone agrees on for dinner, and then add a grain and protein, if anyone needs it, cut some fruit for the table, and dinner's ready. Oh, and we pay the same or less each week as we used to pay at the health food store for organic produce - but get some lovely surprises with the CSA, like foods we'd never try if they weren't in our box, and like some surprise things that our farm trades with other local farms like honey and raisins and basil plants. You might be interested in a book called " From Asparagus to Zucchini " - it's all about how to store and cook veggies that are common to CSAs, and tells the history of veggies, how they're commonly used, simple ideas to use them, and recipes for more complex ways. It's my go-to cookbook! So great! Definitely join a CSA if you have a chance! They are totally wonderful!!!!! Lorraine On Behalf Of admartin5 Thursday, February 25, 2010 9:30 AM CSA'S I was wondering if any one has ever joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Whole Foods is quite a hike for me and their prices seem to be increasing so I was looking for a way to get some organic food locally at a hopefully lower price. I was considering joining an organic CSA but am a little skeptical. The following website list gives more info about CSA's and where to find them in your area: http://www.localhar <http://www.localharvest.org/csa/> vest.org/csa/ Antoinette Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Funny you should ask. Last year I helped organize one through my 3 PTAs. It was a GREAT success. We had 75 shares to sell and sold out in less then 48 hours. Ultimately we sold 83 shares. We're in Ellicott City, MD. The food was great, we raised money for the PTAs and provided unclaimed shares to needy families in our community and the local shelter. This year I have a whole planning committee. We've interviewed 4 farmers with a meeting with last year's farmer today. Tomorrow we will get together to do a " decision matrix " to pick the winner. It is very exciting. We have learned ALOT. The whole " organic " piece is quite complicated. Things are not always what they appear. But I would encourage everyone to seek one out and join. , <admartin5 wrote: > > I was wondering if any one has ever joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. > >d] > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 We have one at my son's school, too. IT's not exactly a CSA, but everything is cert. organic but can come from all over (like we get pineapples and bananas in ours because we have a combo box of fruit/veg - so the veggies are seasonal, but then we have banans). We only do it once a month (the school only gets $ from that one, but we could opt-in for more frequent deliveries. Oh and they deliver it to our house, I don't have to go pick it up. I'm the coordinator now for our school, so I was getting them for free - only they changed how it's set up on their side, and I think it's not that way anymore, but I still have one voucher for the free box. This one worked out a bit better for us, as we have always wanted to join a CSA but coming up with $500 or so at once is not somethign we were ever able to do, even trying to save up, but it seemed that something would come along and use up the savings we'd set aside (like when our cat needed emergency care). This one worked out for us, because it was only like $35 (which was for one bushel box per month). We don't get to pick what is in it, and we still get a variety, and I do like that it does give you the opportunity to try new things when there's something we'd never think to pick up at the store. I think it's one thing that got my son hooked on eggplant. Of course, in the grocery store, he would freak out when he saw them after he tried them and liked them - " MAMA! WE HAVE TO GET THIS EGGPLANT " much to the delight of the other shoppers in the produce section. That was a few years ago, he's more reserved now about asking for things. LOL I've had friends who have had CSA's and we luck out every now and then if they go out of town, and it's when they get a delivery, we either spit it with them or they just give it to us outright for watching their place while they're gone. Missie On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 7:39 AM, Bonnie <bssorak wrote: > > > Funny you should ask. Last year I helped organize one through my 3 PTAs. It > was a GREAT success. We had 75 shares to sell and sold out in less then 48 > hours. Ultimately we sold 83 shares. We're in Ellicott City, MD. The food > was great, we raised money for the PTAs and provided unclaimed shares to > needy families in our community and the local shelter. > > This year I have a whole planning committee. We've interviewed 4 farmers > with a meeting with last year's farmer today. Tomorrow we will get together > to do a " decision matrix " to pick the winner. It is very exciting. We have > learned ALOT. The whole " organic " piece is quite complicated. Things are not > always what they appear. But I would encourage everyone to seek one out and > join. > > > <%40>, > <admartin5 wrote: > > > > I was wondering if any one has ever joined a Community Supported > Agriculture (CSA) program. > > > >d] > > > > > -- ~~~~~(m-.-)m http://mszzzi.zoomshare.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/mszzzi/ http://twitter.com/mszzzi http://www.derbylite.org www.VeganOutreach.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 I love the idea of CSA's and we have a great one that I belonged to for a couple of seasons. They have great emails that anyone receive (one of the farmers is quite the writer). You can sign up at http://twosmallfarms.com/. The downside and the reason that I'm not a member any longer is that I sometime felt I got too much of some items. One of the few vegetables I really don't like is fennel and I felt like we got that too frequently. Or too many herbs or carrots way too much. For that reason, I am not a member any longer but I enjoy the newsletter and recipes. I tend to go to our local farmer's markets or the local natural food store for my produce. Our farm did have a payment option so you didn't have to pay for an entire season at once. Connie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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