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You’ll each pay less, and you’ll be able to switch off pick-up dates and times. Many farms only sell full and half shares, so it makes sense to find someone to split a share with if you’re looking for a smaller size. If you don’t know anyone who might want to split a share, the farms can often help pair you up with another shareholder.
CSAs are great ways to receive a large amount of farm-fresh, often organic produce that typically costs far less than you’d find at a farmers market or even the grocery store.
A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is a system where consumers buy “shares” of what a farmer is growing. The money is paid in advance of planting and harvest. This community-based commerce program is a way to help fund farms and for consumers to get fresh produce directly from the fields.
What Is a CSA?
Typically, you’ll pay for the full season in advance, either purchasing a whole share or a half share. The size and contents of that share can vary considerably based on the particular farm, what they’re growing this season and how the season develops. Some years have bumper crops, while other years are a little on the leaner side.
Pros
How Does a CSA Work?
Local Harvest is one website that can point you in the direction of a farm with a CSA program. You can also Google your local area and “CSA farm” or simply ask around. Local farmers markets are a great source of farmers who may have CSA programs.
Visit Pinterest and search “recipe + [veggie]”, or check out these ideas for how to tackle what’s in your CSA box. Many CSA programs also offer a newsletter and recipes suggesting what to do with each week’s share, especially the less common items.
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CSAs can provide a wide variety of high-quality vegetables for a relatively low price in part because you aren’t paying for grocery store overhead or delivery. To save even more money, ask about volunteer opportunities. Many farms allow people to volunteer on the farm in exchange for free vegetables or a discounted share.
The produce delivered is what is ready to be picked that week and each box will contain a variety. Some CSAs let consumers say which fruits or veggies they don’t want. Since one of the goals is to cut waste, CSAs don’t want to deliver what people don’t want. Though, primarily, consumers get what the farm is delivering.
How to Find a CSA
Eating healthy is a lot easier when a giant box of farm-fresh organic vegetables arrives in your kitchen every week.
What to Expect From Your CSA
Joining a CSA is a great way to sample new recipes and try new vegetables that you may not have otherwise tried. You might find some aren’t to your liking (anyone have a good pea shoots recipe?), but you may also find some new favorites.
Source: thepennyhoarder.com
Instead of allocating a few dollars for vegetables in each week’s grocery budget, you have to come up with the full price of the share at the start of the season. Some farms may offer payment plans, but you’ll still have to plan ahead and spend more money at once than you would otherwise.
Consumers pay in advance for the produce from a farm and it is delivered in a couple of ways. Either consumers pick up their share of produce at a specific time and location, or it is delivered to their homes.
Ready to sign up for a CSA? Here are details about the benefits.
Pros and Cons of Joining a CSA
Some farms hold potlucks for members to get to know each other and develop a sense of community. Working on the farm is another good way to get to know fellow shareholders.
- Lower prices than stores
- Wide variety of produce
- Community involvement
- Upfront costs
- Extra work
- Too much produce
More About Pros of Joining a CSA
You may also need to bring bags or boxes to weigh and sort your veggies. Some CSA farms set up its pick-up site with bins of veggies, scales and a whiteboard listing how much of each item to take that week. Everyone would line up and collect vegetables, weighing each variety to make sure they were taking exactly the right amount. The friendly farm staff would walk around and chat with people, checking names off their list for the week’s pick-up.
Lower Prices than Stores
By participating in a CSA program, you have to be willing to roll with the variety, and you can’t get upset if you receive fewer tomatoes than you’d like but more arugula. That’s just part of the deal.
Wide Variety of Produce
If you participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, you’ll get just that. You’ll also likely develop a love of new and unusual veggies (radicchio, anyone?) while you get the added benefit of saving money.
Community Involvement
Late summer in most of the U.S. brings tomatoes, squash, peas and herbs, then the fall brings a basket full of root vegetables, such as onions, beets and potatoes, just to name a few.
More About the Cons of Joining a CSA
Cons
Upfront Cost
Do you want to try this brilliant (and delicious) way to save money for yourself? Here’s what to know and do.
Extra Work
You will usually sign up for a specific pick-up time and location when you buy your share. Many CSAs offer a variety of pick-up dates and times.
Too Much Produce
Consider freezing, canning, pickling, or giving away some of your bounty. You could even make your own root cellar in your backyard.
How to Make the Most of Your CSA Membership
Sometimes it’s hard to finish everything from one week’s box before the next one arrives, but keep in mind you are saving money and you can always share the bounty (and the cost) with a friend, neighbor or family member.
Split a Membership With a Friend or Family Member
Your fresh veggies come with a couple of strings attached. Make sure you’re aware of these potential drawbacks before you sign up.
Look for Recipes for New and Unusual Items
Some people freeze, pickle or can extras, but if you don’t have the time, skills or inclination, those tasks can be daunting. It’s easy to end up wasting food, even with the best of intentions.
Plan Ahead for What You’ll Do with Extras
We’ve rounded up the advantages and disadvantages of joining a CSA so you can decide if this way of buying produce is right for you. <!–
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Ready to stop worrying about money?