Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Farms

The past few weeks I have been reading about ways to eat healthier and along the way I discovered CSA’s (which stands for Community Supported Farms).  Although I have heard a little about them a couple times this was the first time I seriously considered joining one.  As I was researching more about the local farmers and various programs I decided to contact a couple in our area and find out more information.  It was interesting because some farms I never heard a word back from and others I have had several emails back and forth.  After much thought and research we decided as a family to try a CSA program this year and see how it goes.  I am VERY excited to participate and learn even more.  The girls are thrilled they get to go spend some time on a local farm and eat fresh veggies.  I am still growing some veggies in our garden at home, but I am really looking forward to getting fresh local produce from an area farm.

What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and has been around for about 20 years.  CSA allows consumers to buy local, seasonal and fresh produce directly from the farmer.  The farmer gives “shares” to the public (ie box, bag, or basket of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and a variety of other farm products).  Consumers prepays for shares or a partial shares for that years crops.  The consumers then receive a box of seasonal produce weekly throughout the season (usually around 20 weeks for the summer and 10 weeks for the winter season in our area).

Why is it beneficial?

• Fresh locally grown produce for your family
• An adventure in trying new produce and recipes
• The seasonal produce you receive will be fresh and ripe
• The opportunity to visit the farm where you produce is grown
• Fresh and healthy produce for your family to enjoy
• Organic farming (if this is important to you please confirm with the farm you chose before committing, each farm is different)
• Educational for the kids to see the produce being grown
• Direct connection with a local farmer
• More variety of produce on the menu and at the family table
• Farmers can market and sell their crops before production
• Increases the cash flow for the farm during planting season
• Some farms include eggs, bread, meat, cheese, flowers, local honey, and more.
• Most farms allow you the opportunity to pick what size of share you want (Whole Share, Half Share, Quarter Share, etc…)
• Many farms have multiple drop off locations and times as well.
• And more great benefits!

The benefits really are mutual between the farmer and the consumer.  I hope to share more of the benefits of being involved in a CSA as we have the opportunity to experience more.  Right now our farm has several items planted and we are just waiting for them to grow so we can enjoy the delicious food!  One of the reasons we made the decision to join a CSA is we looked over a budget and realized that some weeks we were spending more than half of our grocery money on fruits and vegetables since we are trying to eat healthier.  When we spread the cost of a CSA over a season we would actually be saving money as a family.  This is our first year so we haven’t discovered exactly how everything works but we hope to share our experience with you!

Are there any risks? It wouldn’t be fair to share the benefits without warning you of the risks as well.

• Shared Risk – you are investing in a crop prior to the farmer raising it so there is a possibility that they could have drought, flood, hailstorm, or insect issues during the season, however, most farms plant a variety of crops so you’ll most likely just get more of another produce, but there is no “guarantees”  At the same time they could have a bountiful production year!
• The farm will probably not raise every produce your family eats (ie. if your family likes mushrooms but the farm doesn’t grow mushrooms you’ll still have to purchase those items in the store)
• Most farms are family run so if there is something unexpected in the family it could affect you as well.
• Some of the produce may be “unique” or unlike the items you buy in the grocery store.  If you like trying new items this is a benefit but if you only like 5 different kinds of veggies or are really picky it may not be the best fit for you
• When you get different types of produce you’ll have the opportunity to try out new recipes, this could be a huge benefit for some people but if you are not comfortable cooking or trying new recipes make sure to consider that as well.

If you are interested in joining or learning more about a CSA in your areas you can learn more about it at Local Harvest and click on the CSA tab.  Under the map on the right side of the page you can enter your zip code and find local farms in your area.  Another wonderful feature that was beneficial for us in deciding which farm to consider was the reviews on the local farms participating.  It is always good to know that other customers have been satisfied before spending your money.

We are excited about the local farm we picked to join.  If you are in Upstate, South Carolina area and are wanting to do this as well let me know which farm you chose in a comment below or send me an email and we may be able to coordinate pick up from week to week to save each other a little extra on gas.  Have you ever been part of a CSA program?  What did you like / dislike about the program?

Photo by Nick Saltmarsh