Thinking about joining a CSA?

Now that my husband and I are feeling healthier and have more energy, we’re discovering that we are more creative in the kitchen. Whether we are at the store or online, we gravitate towards a vast array of cookbooks in search of whipping up something new for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With spring just around the corner, we are really looking forward to joining our community’s CSA to take advantage of the local produce.

What is a CSA?

For over 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.

How does it work?

A farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically, each share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products such as fruits and herbs may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share and in return receive a box (bag, or basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

How does it benefit farmers?

Farmers get to spend time marketing their food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin; receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow; and have an opportunity to get to know and establish a relationship with the people who eat the food they grow.

What’s in it for me?

Consumers get to eat super-fresh produce, benefitting from peak flavor and vitamins; gain exposure to new vegetables, new recipes, and new ways of cooking; and get to visit the farm where the produce is grown during peak season. If that is not enough, they soon discover that their kids will actually eat their vegetables, typically favoring fresh produce over frozen or canned. In fact, they have been known to eat vegetables they have never been known to eat. (Wish my parents knew about CSAs as a kid. Maybe then I would have eaten peas!) Best of all, you get to develop a relationship with the local farmer who grows your food, learning more about how the food you eat is grown.

While the concept sounds simple enough, the impact of CSAs has been profound. Over the years, tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, with demand in some areas of the country exceeding CSA farms. Since the government does not track CSAs, there is no official count of how many CSAs there are across the US. However, with the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms in the US, LocalHarvest.com has over 4,000 CSAs listed in their database.

Where to go?

In the Rochester/Buffalo area, Lori's Market Basket recently announced that they have officially started their CSA Program for the 2014 season.  If interested in being a shareholder, they are offering a number of options. 

• They are offering 100 shares for this years' crop season with a full share priced at $550 and a half share at $300. 
• Each full share consists of a large box (about the size of a bushel) of seasonal produce, while half shares are a half box to be picked up every week.
• The program runs for 23 weeks, between the second week of June and the third week of November.
• There are two convenient pick up locations (their stand in Holley NY as well as at the Greece Ridge Farmers Market)

After contacting Lori’s Market Basket, Lori or Ashley will provide you with an information / customization sheet containing program details and space for telling them the type of produce you like (or do not like). This is a nice personal touch as not all CSAs do this. Plus… Lori’s Market Basket not only includes vegetables, but also fruits, nuts cheese, eggs, and herbs as part of the program. If that is not enough… Lori’s Market Basket plans to set up a Swap Table where you can exchange food items if you have too much of one thing on any given week. So, for example, if one week you have more broccoli in your box than you know your family can use, you can exchange it for a comparable item such as a head of cabbage.

To learn more about CSAs in your area, check out LocalHarvest.com. Or if you live in the Rochester / Buffalo NY area, Lori’s Market Basket is worth the drive. To learn more about them, visit their website; contact them at 585-638-8940; write them at LorisMarketBskt@aol.com, or simply reply to them on Facebook. Oh… and be sure to check out their flyer on Pinterest. All inquiries are quickly answered, and they hope to hear from you soon!