Why I love my CSA

 

What is a CSA?

You might come to this page and know exactly what I’m talking about and why I would love my CSA. On the other hand, you may land here trying to find information on what a CSA is? Either way, I’m glad you’re here!

For those of you that don’t know what CSA stands for, it means Community Supported Agriculture, sometimes you will also hear it referred to as Community Shared Agriculture. Either definition is correct. The whole idea behind a CSA is that you as the consumer buy from local farmers directly by purchasing a share through a membership. This share comes in the form of a box, bag, or basket full of fresh, seasonal, and often organic veggies, fruit, meat, dairy, or pantry items delivered straight to your door (usually for an added fee) or picked up from a set location each week.

CSAs can be farm-direct or from a third-party source that gathers shares from local farms in the area, usually within a certain mile radius.

Why join a CSA?

Why do you want to be a part of a CSA? First and foremost, you will be supporting your local community. You will be helping farmers to sell their food earlier in the year which helps with their cash flow, while also getting to put a face to your food. It allows you to see exactly where your food is coming from all while building a relationship with the farmers. An added bonus is that the food is fresh, healthy, and usually pesticide-free.

Just imagine all the new inspirations you will get for cooking when you receive a unique vegetable, i.e. the Malabar spinach in my share two weeks ago. Did I mention your kids will love the food; it tastes so much better than any of that store-bought produce could hope for.

 

What do you get?

I am not familiar with all CSAs so I will tell you about mine. My wife and I get a Large Produce share every week, we also get a tofu share each week from Twin Oaks Tofu (yum!), along with a pantry share every other week. We belong to Farm to Family and they are great! Currently, the produce share, along with the tofu and pantry share costs less than having dinner out.  Let me just say that this is a tremendous amount of food for 2 people and we love coming up with ways to cook it. Our grocery bills have dwindled which is a nice surprise!

Farm to Family is a third party, meaning they gather our shares from farms that are all within a 100-mile radius of Richmond, VA. They offer Full, Vegetable/Fruit, Dairy/Meat/Fruit, Fruit (only in D.C.), Pantry shares. Did I mention they just added a flower share?  You can either pick your share up every week, every other week, or have it delivered to your home for a minimal added fee per delivery. In addition to their shares, they offer ala carte items such as tofu, preserves, coffee, seeds, syrups, etc. that you can buy.

Each week they send out an email telling you what to expect for your share each week, as well as recipe ideas for wonderful ways to cook all your delicious food. I love my CSA!

How much does it cost?

Is a CSA worth it? A CSA will run you less than one dinner out per week which is a huge saving per season (usually June-November). Farm to Family charges a one-time fee for members, it is different in RVA and D.C. As I mentioned above if you get home delivery you will also pay a fee for that. Some CSAs will allow you to volunteer for discounts and ours offers referral rewards that help you earn credits towards ala carte items. 

Recap-Benefits of a CSA

• CSAs support your local farmers and community- A feeling of “We’re all in this together”
• Your intake of fruits and vegetables increases which in turn makes you feel better!
• You get to experiment with unique, fresh, and healthy food
• You will be eating seasonally, which promotes sustainability
• And finally, you will save money (who doesn’t love to save money)
• Bonus- you get to skip the lines at the grocery store, yay!!

Where do I find Community Supported Agriculture near me?

CSA’s are in demand now more than ever, they used to be hard to find, but not anymore. With our swiftly changing world, there has never been a better time to join a CSA. Local Harvest is a grassroots database and lists over 4,000 CSA’s within the U.S.

If you live in the RVA area you may want to also check out: Agriberry Farm & CSA. Fall Line Farms & Local Roots is an ala carte one-stop-shop with pickup and delivery options).

In all other areas, check out LocalHarvest.org to find a CSA near you. You’re going to love it!!

Also, check out my post on CSFs for more ideas on fresh and sustainable eating.