I got a share in my local CSA.

So I finally got in! I’m excited about my brand new CSA share. Let me explain what it is, why I’m excited, and why you should try to get one if you are interested in economics, fitness, or food politics.

A few years ago, before my nutritional ideas began to guide my eating, politics, and concerns, I heard about the idea of a CSA, or a Community-Supported Agriculture program. I found out that it is a local farm that requires up-front consumer purchase of a share in a set of crops that are then distributed throughout the season. At the time, it seemed like a neat idea, something that crunchy granola types did. Over time, and with knowledge, I began to realize what an important idea it is. In fact, I’m going to try to see if I can use this share as the only source of food at home, aside from coffee, tea, and eggs. I might be crazy, but I think I’d know by now. The most often-stated con of this arrangement is that the consumer takes a risk in that the crop that they have paid for is subject to pests, weather, and other unforeseen factors. I think that the risk is far outweighed by the potential. Now, the upsides:

There are many benefits:

• Supporting your local area by purchasing products made there. Not the next state over. Not the next country over. Here. 
• The overhead of shipping is nonexistent, because the food goes from the field to the table, where you can walk or bike (or take the bus, or drive) to pick it up.
• The cost effectiveness (the number one excuse-response when I suggest a whole food nutritional lifestyle over a processed food one) is amazingly high.
• The food could not possibly be fresher.
• The food is usually of an amazing variety, and suggests that you learn how to cook and enjoy new foods.
• The food is un-packaged, un-processed, whole food.
• The food at many CSAs is USDA organic, meaning pesticide-free. At my CSA farm, they use an alternative called IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
• Since the farm makes food available at harvest, the food is by default seasonal, which promotes seasonal eating, and deprecates the idea of year-round tasteless tomatoes, for instance.
• The farm makes the bounty available each week, and a typical weekly individual share (shown below) is usually more than enough for one person.
• The local farm provides local jobs, and often provides opportunities for labor in exchange for part of a share.
• You get fresh farmed food every week from about June to October, at least here in the Northeast.

How it happened for me.

So, I became interested years ago in the idea of joining a CSA, but there was not one locally available to me until my recent move to the Princeton area, where the Griggstown Quail Farm offers its CSA. You can read about their particular program at their CSA site. I had the pleasure of sampling a Griggstown share while a friend was on vacation last year, and the experience was glorious. The food was fresh, the people were nice, the market was close, and the food was simply waiting for me to come and pick it up.

It works for me, personally. YMMV.

There are a couple of things that make it especially sensible for me, though these are by no means a set of reasons to not consider a CSA if you think differently:

I am mostly vegetarian, meaning that in situations where meat is not a part of the only good and reasonable option, I will eat vegetarian. I eat meat about once a week, mostly out of convenience, and typically as a condiment, such as chicken broth in soup where there is no vegetarian option.

I am very interested in my health and fitness, and so I think of whole foods like nuts, whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruit as a key part of maintaining that fitness. I believe in the value of whole foods over processed foods.

I am very supportive of ecological efforts, locality, reasonable consumerism, and saving money.

I cook my own meals when I can. I really love to cook.

Costs and value.

It is the beginning of March, 2013. I just spent $300 for a full personal share. I will not see the food for weeks. However, when I do, here is a typical share of the crops I should expect in July (as an example), though the crops will start to become available in June:

1 pint of Arugula, 2 cucumbers, 1 eggplant or fennel, 2 onions, 1 bell pepper, 2 jalapeño peppers, 1 banana pepper, 2 Hungarian hot wax peppers, 1 romaine lettuce, 1 bunch of scallions, 2 zucchini, swiss chard, 3 tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme.

Other items I should expect this year are peas, beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, greens, radishes, spinach, turnips, choi, broccoli, winter squash, celery, pumpkins, melons, potatoes, watermelons, cut flowers, cherries, tomatillos, tarragon, rosemary, cilantro and dill.

I can not imagine another instance in which such an amazing nutritional, ecological, and social value could be had at such a low price.

Related articles

• Eat local…Community Supported Agriculture (cleanandgreennutrition.wordpress.com)
• 6 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bills Using a Farm Share (mint.com)
• Libraries Tackle Nutrition and Hunger With Focus on Healthy Food (prweb.com)