CSA is A-OK!

i've started doing research on CSA- Community Supported Agriculture. Most of you probably know all about it, but for those that don't, here is a bit of what i've learned about it.

• You purchase a "share" of a farm. You give the farmer a certain amount of money at the beginning of the planting year, like April or May, and they use it for planting.
• When produce like fruits and veggies and herbs start being harvested, (between May and mid-June, depending on which farm you join) the farm supplies you with a box of the harvest weekly.
  
• Generally, the farm will have drop-off locations with a certain drop-off day. Some will deliver it to your home, depending on the distance, and you can also go pick it up at the farm if it is convenient.
• Many of the farms i've researched are either organically certified or are working on becoming certified. (You must function as an organic farm 4 years before you are eligible for certification.)
• Generally, the amount in the boxes will vary due to time of year. In the spring, the boxes might have 8 lbs. of produce, whereas later in the summer and fall (potato and apple season) the boxes might be up to 20 lbs.
  
• There is a LOT of food. And it keeps coming every week. Many people find it handy to split the cost and the food with a neighbor or friend. i plan on doing this, if i can get it together with my friend, Mommy to Much Kins, especially because there are only three of us in my family right now.
  
• The food you get every week can vary. There will usually be quite a variety, but there will be different foods coming all the time, depending on when they grow or the success of certain foods that season. Most farms also allow you to list a few of your favorites and they will "design" your boxes a bit more to your family's liking.
  
• You can be involved in the farm as well. Many farms have certain days where they encourage CSA members to come and learn how to can your own foods. Other special days include a salsa day, a garlic cleaning day, and all sorts of special events. The farm will give you a calendar of exactly what their specific events are and when.
  
• Some farms require members to spend a certain amount of time helping harvest or deliver their product. i saw one farm that required you to spend a full day some time during the harvest time as part of the fee. i think it's a great idea, and would also be great for teaching kids (and you) about where your food comes from.
• Many farms that do CSA will also reduce your price on meat, if you choose to buy some from them. i plan on purchasing a side of beef for my family at some point. They package and freeze the parts you like best, and man, it is really inexpensive compared to most grocery store prices.
  

• Not all farms require you to put up all the CSA money up front. One farm i'm strongly considering will let you have a certain amount debited from your checking account monthly, instead of having to come up with all the money right away, which is good for me.
  

i'm really excited about this. i will have fresh fruits and vegetables for sure, every week. My family will eat much better. i'll learn to can food, i'll get to try new things i may not have had before (like leeks) and will be forced to be creative in my cooking. Plus, the food is fresh and still has lots of vitamins in it, hasn't traveled thousands of miles, and will help me support a more sustainable way of living. Plus, it will be far less expensive than buying that stuff in the store.

If you are considering doing CSA, here is a link to a good website with tons of links about learning about it and finding a CSA farm in your area. i've been doing research for MN, and here is the link to a very useful Midwest CSA resource. Here is a list of CSA farms in MN and WI. (Scroll down a bit to get to the more substantive list.) You can read the list and visit the websites of many of the farms, as well as finding their drop off locations. If you live in the Northern suburbs or Minneapolis or St. Paul, you have a lot more options as far as drop off locations. i only really had about two places that had dropoffs south of Minneapolis.

i'd also really encourage you to jump on CSA if you are interested, because many of the farms are already full and aren't accepting any more participants for the 2008 harvest season.

i hope you found this informative!