I’m pleased to welcome guest poster Kimberly Schaub, who has some helpful tips for navigating your local CSA and Farmers Market. Kimberly is the creator of Peas on Moss, a blog about all things food.
As a member of Eating Well Magazine’s website, I get to participate in polls that various marketers run, including a recent question, “Are you planning on joining a CSA?” I decided to take a look at the answers, and a few were very interesting. One anonymous participant described her frustration with the sheer volume of food they received. Another complained that the foods provided were things his family didn’t want to eat. Others praised the CSAs they had joined and the variety of food. Some lamented that the waiting list for a CSA is too long. This had me thinking about CSA programs, their impact on our communities, and how we could slowly move towards community-supported entrepreneurs and agriculture within our tastes and financial means.
Recently, I wrote a blog post about the environmental impact of CSAs. Our food travels thousands of miles and passes through many hands to get from the farmer to your grocery cart. It traveled even farther if you drove to the supermarket. That means use of gasoline and petrol. With gas prices and environmental damage on the mind of some, this can be very concerning. Despite the impact on the environment, people still need to eat. And our eating habits are increasingly international, which increases the demand for imported foods. So, what should we do?
What Is A CSA?
Enter Community Supported Agriculture, a movement to support farm businesses as they attempt to sustain us with different food staples. CSAs vary by region and by which farm you join. LocalHarvest.com offers information about local CSAs and farm stands in your area, based on zip codes. Farmers Markets also benefit farms by giving them the opportunity to sell directly to the consumer, bypassing third parties and supermarkets. This allows them to get more of the profit from the sale than if they were to sell to a third party.
Concerns, Tips & Tricks
Now, back to the responses that people have about CSAs. If you are not comfortable in the kitchen yet, joining a CSA from the start may not suit you. You might get discouraged that there was too much food or that the foods given were unusable due to unfamiliarity or dislike. That is a very legitimate concern. Another option might be to go to a Farmers Market nearby and develop a relationship with some of the farm stands there. The same staff members often work the farm stands, and you will eventually get to know them. Ask the farmer or representative how he or she would use the product. What type of cooking method or meal would he or she use with this food? You may find some great ideas and be inspired to try something new.
You can also try hunting for the produce that you would have purchased at the supermarket. This way, at least those items that you would have purchased anyway will be purchased from a farmer who lives and labors near your home. Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, and herbs are just a few common household foods that are sold at most Farmers Markets. Even the most meagerly stocked stands will carry these items at different times of the season.
You can also check out a few resources to help get your creative juices flowing. The USDA Sustainable Agriculture and Research and Education (SARE) has numerous offices throughout the US, and extension office staff are always willing to give you information about seasonality and preparing food. They often run some of the local Farmers Markets, too.
If you are concerned about the volume of the food supplied by your local CSA, consider splitting a share with a friend or neighbor. That way, you can both experience the pleasure of supporting a CSA together. Cleaning, cooking, and freezing some of the products also works well. Just be careful, because some foods do not freeze well, especially certain fruits. Other foods, such as squash, should be roasted and peeled before freezing. Freeze in smaller portions for use in recipes. For example, freeze squashes in 2-cup portions. These are easy to incorporate into soups.
If nothing else, begin shopping from a Farmers Market and ask the staff how large the CSA boxes are. Some markets also serve as CSA drop off locations, so you may get a chance to preview the items that would come in a CSA. Start dabbling! Who knows how far you might go with it?
Great post!
I personally do not participate in CSA’s because most of them require an up-front payment. For my low-income family, it’s difficult to come up with all that money (around here the average cost is $600) at one time.
Luckily, most farms that offer a CSA also sell at the farmer’s market. It’s much easier to buy from week to week than to come up with the money all at once, and there’s the added advantage of making my own choices about what to buy.
I completely support CSA’s, but mostly I’m grateful to have so many available options!
The upfront cost can definitely be an issue with CSAs, even for families where coming up with the money isn’t an issue. Last year I could not get the hubs on board with paying that much ahead of time. This year I… didn’t ask.
But I actually prefer not making my own choices about what to buy. If it’s in my fridge, I find a way to eat it or preserve it. A box full of CSA veggies means a much more varied and vegetable-laden diet for me than when I shop for myself.
Yes, buying produce from the farms at the farmers markets is a great way to continue supporting the farmers without having to deal with the large up-front cost of joining a CSA. I applaud your efforts to support the farmers within your family’s means!
I love our CSA! They let us substitute if we don’t like something they include in a particular week.
It is expensive. The last couple of years we have just allocated part of our tax return for the CSA. That way we never have to pull it out of savings.
Ours gives us options for substitutions as well.
As far as expense goes, it seems to me like it will be one of those things that saves us money in the long run, similar to buying 1/2 cow or pig. I think I’m fortunate in that I’ve been shopping that way for my dogs for quite a while, so I’m used to squirreling money for big food orders. I love the idea of the tax return though! It would give me an added incentive to file my returns earlier.