Author Topic: Community Supported Agriculture  (Read 7766 times)

Bbqmustache

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Community Supported Agriculture
« on: January 25, 2014, 05:59:26 AM »
We live just outside of Baltimore MD.  We are dipping our toes into Community Supported Agriculture for the first time this spring.  We found a well rated CSA from a farm that visits a local farmers market, and will be taking the plunge before April 1.  $290 for a full share once every other week.  We have a full sized freezer, and may get into canning.

It works out to about $12-$13 a week for the 24 week program.   It will greatly increase our consumption of locally produced veggies, and our consumption of those veggies will increase as well.

Would it be helpful if we posted about our CSA journey as we go through it this year?

Thanks!  We might be looking for Bok Choy or Kolrabi recipes before too long!

Gray Matter

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2014, 06:21:27 AM »
Yes!  I have bought a share in a CSA the past two summers and will again this year.  The first year went well, last year was a disaster (gone too much, life too hectic, ended up giving away much of it, forgot to pick it up a time or two, and some rotted in my fridge).  But that was not indicative of anything wrong with CSAs, but of many things wrong with my life!

This year, I am working a reduced work-week and we are not taking any three-week vacations in the middle of summer.  My goal is not to let one single thing go to waste.  I hope to up our veggie intake and freeze anything we don't eat while it's still in its prime.

I'd love to share recipes!

tracipam

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2014, 06:52:04 AM »
I love CSAs!  Been involved in them for probably 4 years now: the first I did was as volunteer only (will-work-for-food-poor-graduate-student-edition).  Now I'm OK with paying for a share.  Definitely post recipes!  We got tons of eggplant last year and figured out how to make an awesome moussaka.  Since I've moved from more-northerly to middle-of-the-USA it's been awesome to find new foods.  My favorite discoveries up north were winter squash and sweet potatoes (not things I grew up eating).  My favorite discoveries this year were husk cherries and pawpaws. 


Truckman

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2014, 07:48:01 AM »
We live just outside of Baltimore MD.  We are dipping our toes into Community Supported Agriculture for the first time this spring.  We found a well rated CSA from a farm that visits a local farmers market, and will be taking the plunge before April 1.  $290 for a full share once every other week.  We have a full sized freezer, and may get into canning.

It works out to about $12-$13 a week for the 24 week program.   It will greatly increase our consumption of locally produced veggies, and our consumption of those veggies will increase as well.

Would it be helpful if we posted about our CSA journey as we go through it this year?

Thanks!  We might be looking for Bok Choy or Kolrabi recipes before too long!

We're in the region, too (work downtown, live up north....don't get on me about the commute...LOL...I'm buying a Prius soon). Just curious what CSA? I get emails from Ferguson Farms, but I've never actually bought from them. Sometimes I'll go to the market on Sundays underneath 83 when I'm down there. Most of our produce we buy locally from the Central Market in York, PA since its much closer.

I'm definitely interested in CSA's and in hearing about your experience. We may be interested in splitting a cow or 1/2 cow with someone. Grass fed only. Ive been looking into that some, too. Ferguson Farms also does free range organic chickens, eggs, pork, duck, turkey.....PM me if you want their email.

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2014, 08:33:57 AM »
The CSA we are planning to join is Brad's Produce in Churchville.  Here is the link to their CSA page:  http://bradsproduce.com/csa

I am facebook connected to a friend who has been doing CSAs for years, so recipes will be forthcoming.  Our shares will begin in late May, and run through October.

Truckman

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2014, 04:17:29 PM »
The CSA we are planning to join is Brad's Produce in Churchville.  Here is the link to their CSA page:  http://bradsproduce.com/csa

I am facebook connected to a friend who has been doing CSAs for years, so recipes will be forthcoming.  Our shares will begin in late May, and run through October.

Thanks for the link!  Their prices seem a little more reasonable compared to the two I've found locally on a quick google search.  However, it seems like the others may give you a little more. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison yet.

Here's what I've found that is closer to me:

Sproutwood Farm CSA, Glen Rock, PA

Goldfinch Farm, Wrightsville, PA

Also, a link to the other site I was talking about, Ferguson Family Farm, for beef, pork, chicken, etc....

Ferguson Family Farm




CanuckExpat

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2014, 01:33:38 AM »
When we were in the area, we did two summers of CSA with One Straw Farm and were very happy with it. The normal share was a bit much for what we wanted to commit to, so we shared a pick-up with someone else; that helped a lot both in not getting too much food, and also having someone to do the pick-up if I wasn't able to. It was of course super handy that they delivered right to work/school so I could walk over, pick my stuff up and take it home on the bike.
CSAs are great, finding a new one here since moving has been on my to do list.

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2014, 03:24:27 AM »
CanukExpat, 

It will be interesting to see what different kinds of veggies/fruits you get out west.  If you start a SCA, could you post about please?

Thanks!

CommonCents

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2014, 06:58:12 AM »
We done one for 3-4 years now, splitting with friends. We just moved so won't this year. I took careful records one year of what we got. I'd say you get a good price and it encouraged us to eat more veggies, but we didn't feel like we got the benefit of a great harvest, sharing with the farmer, because they also sold produce outside the CSA. So we felt they'd sell if a crop was terrific rather than share. We did like ours would give some fruit almost every week (rare), not always apples, and would let members trade items they didn't like. We got a lot if kale, beets, and lettuce (but the lettuce was great to have salads all throughout the summer).

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 07:12:47 AM »
The prices at Ferguson Family Farm kind of made us go eek!  Pork at a hanging weight price of $4.40 a pound is some pretty pricey meat.  After processing, you are left with 60% to 70% of the hanging weight.  An example of a large pig whose hanging weight is 180lb means you will pay them $792 for the hanging weight, and take home (using an optimistic 65% yield) 117 pounds of meat.  You end up paying $6.77 a pound for your pig. 

I did not run the beef numbers, but if the pork numbers are any indication, I would be looking around for other providers.  I'll try and locate my guy who switched from pigs to cows years ago.  A bit of a drive north of you, but good meat at decent prices. 

Here he is!  Bucky Ziegler

http://paradisevalleyorganicfarm.com/index.html
« Last Edit: January 26, 2014, 07:24:06 AM by Bbqmustache »

Truckman

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2014, 10:18:59 AM »
The prices at Ferguson Family Farm kind of made us go eek!  Pork at a hanging weight price of $4.40 a pound is some pretty pricey meat.  After processing, you are left with 60% to 70% of the hanging weight.  An example of a large pig whose hanging weight is 180lb means you will pay them $792 for the hanging weight, and take home (using an optimistic 65% yield) 117 pounds of meat.  You end up paying $6.77 a pound for your pig. 

I did not run the beef numbers, but if the pork numbers are any indication, I would be looking around for other providers.  I'll try and locate my guy who switched from pigs to cows years ago.  A bit of a drive north of you, but good meat at decent prices. 

Here he is!  Bucky Ziegler

http://paradisevalleyorganicfarm.com/index.html

Their beef whole or half hanging weight is also $4.40/lb. From the little bit of checking around I did a year or two ago, that seems to be the going price in the MD area. I think a friend of mine in Frederick pays $4.25/lb.  I sent Paradise Valley a request for a price list, so I'll see what they have to offer.

I'll keep checking around comparing prices, too...

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2014, 05:00:31 AM »
Truckman,

     Has Bucky Zeigler at Paradise Valley gotten back to you yet?

Truckman

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2014, 07:12:19 AM »
No he hasn't. Thanks for asking, it totally slipped my mind. I filled out the contact us form, this time I'll try emailing direct.

vivian

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2014, 08:48:37 AM »
We've done a CSA for a number of years. It does help you learn to appreciate new types of vegetables. Depending on how much you get, you might also want to look into canning. We get so much at once that we need to can/freeze or else it will go bad before we can use it.

Worsted Skeins

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2014, 09:36:01 AM »
I have been a long term CSA subscriber.  My spring/summer CSA supports an organic farmer who does a really good job of changing up the contents of the box on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  My fall CSA farmer produces more limited offerings.  The latter is the case where we need to get creative because of repetition.

One thing that I do is freeze either some of the contents directly (peas for example) or I freeze some items prepared from the contents.  I still have some ratatouille in the freezer as well as roasted peppers (sweet and poblano).  One of my usual tricks is to freeze a large quantity of homemade egg rolls with whatever greens have come in the box.  Hello bok choi!

I would check out some small batch canning sites.  You really don't need to make a big investment--your soup pot will work.  Even if you put up a couple of jars of something, you will enjoy your bounty in the winter months.

Truckman

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #15 on: February 25, 2014, 05:28:59 AM »
Truckman,

     Has Bucky Zeigler at Paradise Valley gotten back to you yet?

Still hasn't returned my email (I've sent 2 now).

I have found a couple other local grass-fed beef sources, some of which include other products.

http://www.mmfarm.us/index.html

http://www.ironstonespringfarm.com/grass-fed-beef.asp

http://www.northmountainpastures.com/csa-overview

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2014, 05:25:06 AM »
I will try to contact him this week or next.

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #17 on: March 24, 2014, 04:54:02 AM »
Getting pushback from the spouse on the CSA idea.  Plus our income has not grown well in the last couple months.   A large cashout to a CSA is not in our current budget.

Fonzico

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #18 on: March 25, 2014, 03:03:10 PM »
We're joining a CSA for the second time this year. We're in Canada, which obviously has some growing-season related challenges, and it's a little pricey. However, for truly local (the farm they're from is 5km (~3mi) from our house) and organic veggies, plus knowing that I'm supporting "the little guy" - it's just a couple acre farm, run by like 3 people - I've decided it's worth it. My sister went in on it with me last year, which helped cost-wise, but it wasn't worth it for her - she just couldn't get her family to eat such a wide variety of vegetables, and had trouble figuring out what to do with it all.

I'm a little nervous about getting a whole share this year - we do eat a LOT of vegetables, and have no problems trying new things! But I suspect we'll still end up giving some of it away. We eventually want to homestead though, so getting used to eating exclusively seasonally and the kinds of foods that can actually be grown in this climate is an important skill for us. (We do garden a bit ourselves, but we're renting, so have to use existing beds, and there's just not a ton of space. We'll get there, but it's not possible to rely on that for a very large percentage of our veggie needs at the moment.)

Moral of the story - love the concept. Wish it was cheaper, but believe it's worth it, nevertheless.

CanuckExpat

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2014, 05:11:10 PM »
I'm a little nervous about getting a whole share this year - we do eat a LOT of vegetables, and have no problems trying new things! But I suspect we'll still end up giving some of it away.

I think finding someone to split a share with is what made a CSA work as well for us as it did. That way there is less concern about spoilage or what to do when you are gone on vacation, plus you can end up with synergies if one of you likes one vegetable and dislikes another for example.

Mechanista

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #20 on: May 25, 2014, 04:56:48 PM »
I had tried a CSA years ago and found that it didn't fit my hectic single lifestyle. Also this was pre-mustache and I was Lazy. This year I am giving it another go now that I know better and am more of a family guy.

We paid $250 for the veggie share and $130 fruit share. So $280 total for 18 weeks of fresh local organic fruit and veggies.

First pickup is this week. We may need some recipes too!
 

Bbqmustache

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #21 on: May 26, 2014, 06:28:47 AM »
We found out that we are 20 miles away from a major fruit and veggie distribution center that some of the vendors are open to the public.  Organic stuff also available there.

We might be darkening the door of the Jessup Produce Market.   Cooseman's is one of the vendors:  http://coosemansdc.com/

Posting or linking to recipes sounds like a good idea.

imadandylion

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Re: Community Supported Agriculture
« Reply #22 on: August 07, 2020, 09:32:52 AM »
I dunno where people are finding good CSAs but I decided to try it after moving to a new area and it seemed to work out to $18/week. Well, second delivery of this CSA included a rotten onion and apple, that were visibly rotten from the exterior... like you'd notice before putting that in someone's delivery that morning. The first CSA I tried way back when also included a moldy fruit - a mango, which I don't think even grows locally... These in particular are giving CSAs a bad name for sure but I think I'll just stick to picking my own.