CSA: Farm Shares

Most of you probably have not heard about CSA/farm shares. I just recently discovered them myself. Basically it's a way for local farmers to secure money up front when the season starts and also a way for folks like myself to secure myself fresh product during the season for a set price from the get go (think of it like a stock share, you own a portion of their harvest that year). The typical farm share costs anywhere from $400-600 for 26 weeks of farming and feeds a family of 4. Since I am a family of 2, I can purchase a half share, or split it with a friend or family member (we are splitting it with my parents). For this purchase price, you get a box filled each week with fresh produce from the farm of your choice. On average, it would be about $50 worth of produce at a supermarket, except it's organic and straight off the farm and way fresher than a supermarket! If you do the math, you're saving money on produce, and also getting the highest quality stuff possible. Now the one thing some may see as a disadvantage is that you don't get to choose what your recieve each week, it's whatever the farmers pick. I think thats fun though, because I'll get to experiment cooking with new vegetables that I may not have tried otherwise (did I say I? I meant, Ben will be cooking.. I will be eating!). Here is a link to the CSA website so you can find a farm in your area that can sell you a share: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/