How much do you pay for your CSA?

[OvenSeeksBun]

I'm just starting to look into my local food-shares (and I am very new to the idea)

The first one I've found is near my home, the cost is $400 per year (season is only mid-June to September), for one box of produce per week. One box should provide for 4-5 people. OR you can do "participatory agriculture" which involves contributing 60 hours of work on the farm to receive a weekly box.

Does this seem expensive to you?? I'm located in central Canada (the prairies)

[lil_earthmomma]

When I was in Calgary, I was paying about that, but it was so worth it. I got so much food, and it was FOOD!!! You could smell the strawberries from across the room, and the taste blew me away. lol

Where I am now, in the Kooteney Valley BC I can't find anyone doing this.

[OvenSeeksBun]

I'm also liking the looks of this place

http://www.bluelagoonorganics.com/in...d=20&Itemid=34

It would be so nice to support our local agriculture this way, the food would be so much better too (assuming good crops) It's just too bad it's just a few months out of the year.... these darn Canadian winters :

[cristeen]

So is that 10 weeks, or 14? At 10 weeks, that's $40/week, at 14 weeks, that's $28.57/week. How much of this is food you will actually eat, how much extra will you have to save for the winter (freeze, can, etc.), is this organic or conventional, how much would you be spending each week on produce otherwise?

I'm paying $31/week for an organic box that is technically more than we can get through in that week. I should be preserving it, but at this point I haven't... I'm tossing greens nearly every week as they go bad. Ours is also year-round though, so I don't have to make a summer's worth of produce last all year. And it cut my produce bill drastically when we made the switch. The only time I buy any produce at the market right now is when I run out of apples (baby's favorite, apparently), or if I'm having company.

[Poddi]

CSA around here are generally $500 for the season, about 20 weeks. I'd say $400 is good price. We don't do it any more because they're almost 100% veggies, no fruits. We couldn't quite eat that much veggies. I'd say you're pretty lucky to find anything at all at this time of the year. Most CSAs are full long before now.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by OvenSeeksBun

I'm also liking the looks of this place

http://www.bluelagoonorganics.com/in...d=20&Itemid=34

It would be so nice to support our local agriculture this way, the food would be so much better too (assuming good crops) It's just too bad it's just a few months out of the year.... these darn Canadian winters :

Growing season, what growing season!

BTW I love your user name!!!

[Maggi315]

I didn't join this year, but I checked their website, it's 580.00 for 27 weeks.

the problem I had is lots of wasted veggies (and some fruit). I tried sharing and swapping, but it didn't work out too well. We just don't eat alot of the food, for example, i can only make so much zucchini bread! Around here in PA, we had pounds of zucchini, which no one in my family even likes!

I have considered joining this year, I like the pick your own days and the farm days and I like trying new foods and recipes with the kids.

I also wish they had alot more fruits, when we did get fruits it usually wasn't enough for my large family, I would have to buy 2 shares.

Hopefully CSA's will get more popular! I'd love to have more choices in my area.

[lil_earthmomma]

Whatever surplus I got I would puree and add to sauces or baking. Zucchini is really ideal for this.

[savithny]

$485 for mid-June through the end of October.

Ours isn't a box a week. Ours is set up so you "shop" their farmers market stand for what you need for the week.. The idea is that you're not supposed to get a surplus - but you should be able to get what your household needs for the week every week.

THere are limits on some items - things that they don't have much of or are just coming into season. They grow some things just for their CSA members (onions and garlic) and you ask for them and get one or two a week.

I like the setup, because I actually got more than my friends who were in a box-based CSA, and I got to choose what I needed, so I could get enough of something for a recipe.

[Down2Earth]

This is sort of a stupid question, but what does CSA stand for? I think I get the general idea and it sounds great. What sort of searches should I do to find one in my area?

[veganf]

OP - we pay $500+ for June-Oct (USD) and still have to put in a minimum of 12 work hours.

PP - CSA = community supported agriculture

[Maggi315]

Oh, i really like the shop idea instead of the box idea. I think that would work out much better for our family. Because the box thing just had lots of stuff we didn't eat, and I felt bad with so much wasted food. in the end, it was better for me to set aside that money each week and shop at the tons of roadside stands around here and at the Amish market.

But I really like the idea of CSA's and I think shopping for your food each week is a great idea! Hopefully it will come to my area!

[OvenSeeksBun]

Thanks for the replies!

So it looks like this is a reasonable price. I would love the market idea too, then you can pick and choose.

I thought it would take some convincing to get DH on board. I emailed a friend asking if she'd like to split the CSA with us. I emailed DH (he's out of town for work) explaining the CSA to him and sending him the link. He liked the idea right away, and actually asked if I heard back from my friend yet, because one of his colleagues is interested as well. Yay for DH! :

I think I'll just have to learn a bit about preserving and get ready for a veggie packed summer!: