Here in the Northeast, it’s summer-share CSA {Community Support Agriculture} sign-up time.
More specifically in our little corner of the world, the Albany/Saratoga/Schenectady/Troy area is being treated to a CSA Fair sponsored by Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, NOFA-NY. It is being held TODAY at the ATRIUM, the location of the Troy Farmers Market, from noon-3pm. This is a big gathering of all the local CSA farmers in one spot, there to answer your questions; price, pick-up location, conventional or organic, fruit/no-fruit, micro or full share AND for you to hopefully purchase a share. In addition, if you stop by the Kilpatrick Family Farm table, you will of course get to meet the owner, Michael, but also ME! I will be at the KFF table answering questions { giving my perspective as a current CSA member} AND also shilling promoting our blog. I’ll be handing out a packet of recipes from the blog as a take-away! Come on down!
If you are a regular reader of the blog you know that all five of us + Dianna are all CSA members at different times of the year. It should be noted that this past summer was the first season for many of us (Amanda, Sarah & I) and this fall/winter/spring was the first for Alexis. I loved it so much that I am now a year-round share holder with KFF in the fall/winter/spring and Denison Farm in the summer.
We ALL love being a share holder for one reason or another. If you are on the fence about joining this summer, I asked the group to answer : Why join a CSA?
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“I joined a CSA because the idea of picking up a fresh box of veggies each week from a farm was enchanting. Yes….Fairy tale-ish. I love unpacking the box with the help of my toddler. We look at each vegetable and talk about what it is and feel it. He still doesn’t eat them all but it’s a great education in where our food comes from. I also love feeling like a part of a special community that is supporting local farms!” -Sarah
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“Connecting with the source of my food by joining a CSA means taking a new level of responsibility for the food that my family and I consume. By challenging myself to prepare meals with local and organic foods it’s harder to take what we eat for granted. The ever-expanding movement to support ethical and sustainable food production is exciting and I want to be a part of it.” -Alexis
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“I joined the winter CSA at Kilpatrick Family Farms because even though I have a big garden in the summer, I do not have the capacity to raise greens in the winter nor to store a large enough quantity of root crops to feed my family all year. I love high quality, fresh food, and KFF keeps it coming through November, December, January, February, March and April. Just as my peas are peeping up in the spring, my share is finished. The timing is perfect.
Buying a winter share also keeps me coming to the farmers market each week. I might be tempted to hibernate in the cold weather if I didn’t have an incentive to leave the house every Saturday morning. Going to the market to pick up my share, I also buy bread and eggs and mushrooms and tamales and apples and cider and yogurt and fish from other vendors. We eat better, fresher food all winter long. Thanks KFF. You keep me from lapsing into a junk-food-induced stupor during the dark times of the year.” -Dianna
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1. To buy from local farms. I want my kids to know where their food is grown and who grows it,
2. Very easy local and quick weekly pick up, and finally
3. Even though the cost seems like a lot at the beginning, we are getting a great value for amazing produce! – Amanda
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- I wrote a piece on my gratitude for being a part of the KFF family “Thanksgiving Gratitude, An Update”
- Sarah, Amanda & I {and the 5 kiddos} went on a KFF farm tour last summer.
- A local filmmaker just completed a short 8-minute documentary, The Local Food Movement” staring many farmers and workers who are at the Saratoga Farmers Market, including Michael Kilpatrick & Justine Denison. Watch here on YouTube.
- A very timely piece by Mark Bittman about a report that was published this week by the UN finding that sustainable and organic farming is a viable way to feed the world. Here’s the report. I will be republishing these links, and hopefully more on the story in tomorrow’s Weekend Reading.
- A piece in the New York Times about a growing number of 20′s & 30-something in Oregon are opting to farm.
- Finally, read about the CSA business model on Local Harvest then use their search engine to find a CSA in your area!
I totally believe that csa’s are the way to go for you in season produce.
Yes! Do you belong to a CSA or thinking about joining one?
Another reason to do a CSA? The discount. There’s no way I could afford to buy mostly local food in the summer if I didn’t just get a box of veggies and fruits. When we lived in Washington state our huge grocery bag filled to the brim with organic veggies cost us about $22 a week. If I’d bought the same stuff a la carte at the farmers market I probably would’ve paid at least twice that, if not more.
TOTALLY. An excellent point. I think the other 5 ladies would agree to- its sooo much cheaper to get the weekly share than a la carte. I think its 22-26/per week too. A steal.