CSA Sign Up
It’s hard to believe that it’s time for you to start thinking about your summer CSA subscription, but the time has come. Farmers are choosing their crop varieties, planting seeds, and starting to send out their CSA announcements that you can now sign up. It’s important to sign up rather quickly because many farms book up fast, as they only allow for a certain amount of subscriptions.
What is a CSA you say? (For an in depth description check out my post on CSA’s here)
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a membership of sorts where you buy a share of a farm and receive weekly or bi-weekly seasonal produce from the harvest. For many families it is an incredibly easy way to eat locally without having to think a whole lot about what to purchase.
The nitty-gritty:
Prices- CSA memberships can range in price from $700-$1200 for a full bushel (which feeds a family of 4-5)
- Avalon Acres – $1040 for the season which averages out to about $40 a week (26wks)
- Beaver Dam Creek – $800 for the season which averages out to about $33 a week (24wks)
- Most farms require a yearly membership fee that can range from $20-$100 – some wave the fee if you sign up early.
Variety – It’s important to do your research here. Some farms have a limited variety of produce, while other have a wide range of variety. Choose a farm that best fits your tastes and needs.
- Doe Run Farm In June- Tomatoes, Squash, Carrots, Potatoes, Peppers, Blackberries, Asian Greens, Kale, Onions, Green Beans, Cucumbers
- Beaver Dam Creek Mid Season- Squash, Garlic, Cucumbers, Carrots, Onions, Beans, Corn, Cantaloupe, Leeks, Potatoes, Watermelon, Herbs, Flowers
- Long Hungry Creek Farm May-June – Lettuce, Green Onions, Parsley, Carrots, Peas, Swiss Chard, Beets, Garlic, Summer Squashes, New Potatoes
Location – This is important when choosing a farm. Some farms require that you come to the farm for pick up (which can be fun, but time consuming depending on location), others have options to pick up at Farmers Markets, a host family home, community center or even offer delivery.
Overall, a CSA is a beautiful opportunity to support a local farm and to treat your family to a long season of delicious fresh natural foods. If committing to a whole season isn’t up your alley, or being challenged to cook things from your share that you’ve never cooked before scares you, hit up your local Farmers Market each week where you can pick and choose your local items.
avalon acres allows their members to pay weekly. you have to commit for the whole season, and of course paying it all up front helps immensely with their cash flow, but for my family, being able to pay weekly was the tipping point for us joining a CSA. our family share of meat and produce came in around $60/week. i think the single share is around $35/week.
That is great. Many farms do allow you to pay week by week which is a lot more convenient that paying it all up front. Thanks for your comment.
We LOVED our Beaverdam Creek CSA. The Lingos are wonderful and they do such a great job providing lots of variety each week *and* unusual varieties. I felt like we were always learning. They also provide a lot of great recipes to help you with the less familiar veggies. Further, I had the chance to take my kids out to their farm in Centerville last summer and we had a blast. They were so generous with their time while we were there, explaining everything to the kids. Everyone was excited to get home and eat their veggies. We’ve already signed up for this year and plan to continue as members for years to come.
Oh right, I loved reading about your trips to the farm. Having recipes is great if you are new to a CSA. Thanks for the great review!