For farmers here in New England, and in many other places around the globe with similar growing times, this seasonal start is still observed. Small farmers all over the region are either starting their indoor sprouting and/or getting ready for their growing season as I type.
Just last week, Genevieve Stillman of Stillman's Farm told me that they had already started receiving CSA memberships for this year's growing season. In fact most CSA memberships need to be initiated around now.
What is a CSA?
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an arrangement where non-farmers buy a share of the farm's produce for that year. It is a win-win situation. Farmers typically need to invest in their farm first (seeds, fertilizer, equipment, salaries) and reap the rewards later (selling their produce.) By selling it before it is grown they have the money the need when they need it. Also they know that they have people dedicated to buying their produce.
For the buyer, it is a great deal! (By far the best deal pound-for-pound.) If you buy a full share at Stillman's (and all of them that I've seen are about the same), it is $500 for the whole season (minimum of 16 weeks). That is $31.25 per week for fruit and vegetables, if they only go for 16 weeks. (An employee at Stillman's said last year they went for 19 weeks, with the last week a larger share of everything still available. And there is not extra cost for the extra weeks.) You can also get a half-share for $350, which is a great deal, or split a full share, making it $250 each.
And it is likely more produce than you need, allowing you to freeze (and if you have the know how, preserve) lots of produce for the off season. As a point of comparison, my vegetarian family of four who eat almost every meal from home, we found the half shares too much for us to consume in a week. In fact, in the same conversation last week, Genevieve said that her members from last year were just finishing up last year's produce... Mid-February! (Did I mention last year's growing season was considered by many a really bad season?) What does that mean? If you are wise and preserve the extra, you can end up with 9-months' produce (39 weeks, making it $12.82/week). While that is not guaranteed, the math always points to CSAs as being the best buy for produce.
The down-side, you need to get the money up front. That can be a HUGE set back for some families. Saving up for it (should have posted this a few months ago...), or if your income is seasonal, or... is there a way you could come up with $500, or $250, if you knew your fruits and vegetables would be free for a few months this summer? In addition, I know of at least one farm that offers low-income discounted shares. It may be worth asking around the CSAs that are in your area.
Another challenge for some, and up-side for others, is that there may be less choice than shopping. Some CSAs just have what they have, others offer some range of choice. You can ask the farm what their policies and procedures are. Of course, even if there isn't much choice and they grow stuff you like or are willing to try, it can all work out wonderfully. Our first CSA was not necessarily the best match for us, but, we did learn how to cook with foods we did not normally buy, and we learned we liked some of them, too. CSA farms usually offer suggested recipes for the foods they provide, and just having a new vegetable can inspire you to look into how to make it tasty. (Remembering the importance of variety for a healthy diet, this inspiration can be a huge benefit!)
OK, so you're sold, or at least curious, how do you locate a CSA that you could pick up? There is a website or two for that, too!
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