Some of you might remember last May when we bought a CSA share from Plan B organic farms. It was our first time ever buying a CSA share and we were excited for local and organic food each week.
Well to clarify, it was mostly ME who was excited…but excitement is contagious and I think Eric secretly enjoyed it too.
…I think it was all the cooking I did!
We quickly learned that there were things we loved about the CSA share and things that we didn’t love.
CSA PROS:
1) Value for dollar
At just $20 something dollars a week, we were given a huge box of organic produce. It would have cost much more had we purchased this at the grocery store. Even so, we wouldn’t have been able to find everything organic at the grocery store and I can bet it wouldn’t have been local either.
2) Support local organic farmers
3) Fresh & Crisp produce, better quality than what we find at grocery store
4) Our veggie consumption went way up and we felt amazing.
5) We tried so many new vegetables. Even scary ones!
CSA CONS:
1) Lots of Repetition
By August/September we were getting tons and tons of potatoes and squash (among other things) and we got so sick of the repetition. I’m sure if we lived in a tropical climate, there would be a better selection of produce each week, but around here I think we are more limited.
2) No choice in what produce you get
We often found ourselves longing for some items that were in season and they never came (e.g., tomatoes).
3) Picking up the box each week
We opted not to get a delivery to save money. We found out only after we purchased the share that the pick-up location was a 25 minute drive from our house and it wasn’t overly convenient for us. Plan B does not disclose the pick-up location until your make the purchase. Obviously, this was a con for our particular circumstance, but pick-up location is still something to consider before buying.
Our 2011 Produce Plan
This year, we decided that we are going to change things up and do things a bit differently!
Our plan for the 2011 season is to:
1) Possibly plant a garden this Spring, time willing!
2) Buy produce from the Milton Farmer’s Market. We aren’t working at the Oakville market this summer so we hope to attend the Milton Market (as customers!) as much as possible this year. It opens May 14th.
3) Buy produce from local organic farm. I recently discovered that there is an organic farm not too far from us. This organic farm lets you buy produce on Wednesday evenings and they will also be selling at the Milton Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.
(If we plant a garden, we won’t need to rely on the farm/market as much…but we’ll have to see!)
If we manage to build a garden, I plan on showing the process on the blog. I really have NO CLUE how to build a veggie garden (and I don’t know a thing about vegetable gardening!), but my RMT has been teaching me a lot about it because she is a pro. :) I’m sure I can find some tutorials online too.
I hope our new plan will work out well this season. I will keep you updated on our progress!
Do you have a plan of how you will be buying your produce this Spring and Summer? Do you ever use a CSA, Farmer’s Market, local farm, or plant your own veggies? If you plant your own garden, how did you start it up?
Hahaha, I love the picture of you with the scary vegetable!! You’re cute, thanks for the laugh!! I think my local farmers’ market just started last week and I plan to check it out tomorrow! My apartment window also happens to overlook the farmer’s field next door… we just moved in a few months ago so I’m not sure what he grows, but I’m very excited to see what he’s going to put on his sale board in the next few months! Can’t get more local than that :)
for me, the cons outweigh the pros. i thought about it but i’d rather buy what i want & need.
I get most of my produce from the grocery store but my grandpa has his own garden where he grows the best tomatoes, onions, zucchini and cucumbers. He’s 85 years old and still gets out there and works on his garden every spring… :D
Hi,
I don’t have a farmers market near me, which is strange since I live near a bunch of farms, so it isn’t convenient for me to get my produce from the Farmers market, (25 miles from my home). This year, actually this weekend, I am going to be planting my first vegetable garden. I have a 7 x 12 area that I cleared away last weekend and I am looking so forward to having a fresh, organic veggie garden. last year I planted tomatoes and yellow beans, and I was so proud of myself. Two tomato plants was sufficient as I was making a ton of tomato dishes. So this year I have taken the deck down, cleared a spot and now I am going to plant corn, asparagus, potatoes, tomatoes, lots of peppers and squash, amongst other sweet little surprises.
If you have time this year I recommend planting a veggie garden. It will make you feel great, plus it will save you money and trips to the store. Not to mention we will be able to read about it and see your progress on your blogs! Have a great day!!
These vegetable pictures are so beautiful!
I use Mama Earth Organics! They are wonderful and while I know what you mean about repetition some weeks, unfortunately that’s more to do with our climate than their service. I get what you mean about living in the tropics though!
I also plant a garden which I am expanding this year!! SO excited. There are some great books you can pick up to help you with your planning, and I just picked one up which happened to be a Reader’s Digest ‘encyclopedia’-like folder of all plants, how to grow them, how to prune, etc. There are also a lot of really great resources online on how to start the garden, how to dig it up properly,to rotate the soil, and which plants to select for each environment…so much to learn about gardening. BUT, once you start you will LOVE the tranquility, peace, and pride of growing your own veggies and fruits.
I belong to the world’s most awesome full-diet, year-round CSA– Essex Farm. For a great read on farming, love, and relationships with others and the world around us, read the book that describes in all– “The Dirty Life”– by Kristin Kimball. I love eating seasonally and can’t imagine ever going back to my “old” ways!
We opted for a ‘cash crop’ instead of the CSA this year, for the reasons you stated above. This way we can just go and pick up whatever fruits and veggies we want, and not have to worry about money since we paid for it upfront. We’re also going to do a container garden (put the plants in containers/pots instead of the ground to avoid having to weed a garden!). I bought a starter pack at Home Depot that I’ll start inside and once it’s ok to transfer outside, they’ll go in pots. This is our first time, so who knows how it’ll go! Good luck!
We’ve planted a garden! We get a lot of ORGANIC Bell Peppers and Totamotes that way! It saves us a TON! :)
I love going to our local market and buying local.. thats one of my favorite things about summer.. fresh produce and markets!
I live in New York City and don’t drive, so getting to local farms is unfortunately a difficulty for me. However, I try my hardest to get to the farmer’s market at least one a week to get local produce and support other local food businesses – there’s this incredible vegan bakery that ONLY sells their products at this market, so frequently I go and stock up on goodies. I’ve been looking into CSA membership, but right now the only ones local don’t deliver…but there are several new CSAs and co-ops being developed across the city right now, which I think is fantastic.
Definitely try gardening! This year is my fourth year of gardening and I love it. Great food and great exercise. Win – win! My best tip is to start small. It’s very tempting to try to grow a bunch of different veggies, but large gardens require a lot of time to maintain. I tried to grow a monster garden last year and it made me really unhappy because I couldn’t keep up with the weeds and ended up losing a lot of my produce. So I’m back to basics this year. I have really good luck with lettuce and kale, radishes, tomatoes, zucchini, bush beans, and basil. The lettuce and kale alone are totally worth it. My kale actually survived the winter so I’m already enjoying kale right now!
Yay for local produce! We started a garden for the first time last year, buying seedlings from the farmer’s market and also from the local home and garden shop. This year, we’re trying to start the garden from seed. It’s quite the adventure, never having grown anything from seeds before!
Here’s what I’ve learned so far: it’s about a balance of heat, light and water. We purchased heat mats to place under the seeds, and that seems to help, especially since it’s still cold here (Maryland). Also, start small — you can continue to increase the size each year.
Best of luck! I think there’s nothing more rewarding than growing your own food!
My husband and I have thought about doing it repeatedly, but my lack of control over what I’d get is mostly what turns me off. I wouldn’t want to spend a bunch of money and then get things I can’t eat due to food intolerances or that I truly dislike. I think I’m just too picky!
Although I can’t wait until the farmer’s market opens! I have been waiting for weeks and it’s almost time!
My husband and I plant a small garden at our local Community Garden. One of the best things to learn is canning and food saver machines. We still have food that we grew last summer in the freezer and can shelf. Be mindful of planting to many plants, because you could have way to much produce. Different plants should be planted at different times and harvested at different times.
We’re planning to go to one of our local farmer’s markets, there are many in our area, tons of orchards, it’s great.
I have a question for any one out there, I was rushing thru the grocery store a few days ago and instead of picking up kale for my Green monsters, i got two huge bags of mustard greens,!!! Does any body have any suggestions on how i can incorporate these to my green monsters? I made one today and it was SPICY!!! Very weird, but i drank it…I’m sure it’s still very healthy and nutritious, but the i can do without the spice, Help!!
http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The-Diet-Detective-7-Healthy-Spring-Tips.htm
Just saw this article today…seems like it would be super helpful for starting your garden!
We actually run a CSA in Pennsylvania, be glad to offer any gardening advice needed!!
You should check out Whole Circle Farms just north of Acton. They have a farm store that sells produce year round. We also did a CSA two years in a row and are moving to a plan like yours this year. Have fun with the garden! And the Georgetown market is great as well (and we have a Wed. night market too!).
We have a CSA that runs throughout the year. But you’re not required to purchase. You just show up when you want (they’re open 2 days a week) and you can buy the box for $25 or just buy some individual items, or both. I live in an apartment with a tiny patio, so I can only grow stuff in pots, if I want. But I’m always gone for one month in the middle of summer, so I can’t really grow anything at all! I used to grow tomatoes, which I love. Inside, I grow some lettuce and started growing kale. I’ve got a small pepper plant inside too (these are all in my Aerogardens). I’d love to go back to growing stuff in pots outside again, but I’m always gone at the wrong time. I’ll try when I get back, in the middle of summer. There are a few other farmer’s markets around too…..