Last year, I decided to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Joining a CSA is similar to buying stock in a farm – you pay at the beginning of the season for a share of the farm’s harvest. The fee is the same no matter what – so if it is a great year with lots of produce, you get more for your money; if its a hard year – bad weather conditions, etc – you get less. Each week, on the designated day – you go to the pick up location and get your share of vegetables for the week! I love it because you get to try new vegetables and forces you to eat lots of veggies (or freeze them for later use… but thats another blog!). Everything is super fresh (often picked that very day!!), organic and locally grown.
Most CSAs have some sort of work requirement – usually you have to work at the pick up station one time during the year. Some of them let you work at the farm in order to fulfill your work requirement. Being that when I was 5 I wanted to be a farmer when I grew up, I made sure the CSA I joined let you work at the farm to fulfill your requirement! You only have to attend one work day at the farm – but last year I went to almost all of them. I got to cut potatoes to seed, transplant young plants, cover the greenhouse, and pick green beans.
This past Saturday was the first work day of this year that I was able to attend – and I got my friend Erin to come with me!
We helped cover the greenhouse (see the metal “hoops” in the picture below? (In the middle, on the left) – that is the frame for the greenhouse that we covered):
I would love to hear about your experiences with a CSA, if you have them!
