Okay, so we didn’t ACTUALLY buy a whole farm, but we bought a share in it! Since Mark and I have been trying to eat more veggies lately (thanks RP), and we would prefer to support local agriculture, we did some research and found a local farm that offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program! Basically, the farm supplies us with a weekly share of the produce that is currently being harvested, and every week we go visit the farm to pick it up in our share-sized basket.
Why we love it:
- The food is organic, fresh, and locally grown – our veggies still have dirt on them and I love it!
- We get to go to the farm every week and pick herbs, flowers, and pet the horses!
- It forces us out of our comfort zone: apparently there are vegetables other than the peppers, onions, spinach, and broccoli that we were buying every week.
- We have met the farm owner and the farmer harvesting the crops face-to-face
- It feels amazing to build relationships with members of our community and support them to help it grow!
Things to consider:
- Do your research: look online for reviews and go to the farm yourself, if possible, to see for yourself if it is a good fit for you.
- Ask questions! Prior to going to the farm, I assumed that we would be receiving a box each week of pre-selected vegetables, which made me worry – what if its filled with things I don’t like? It wasn’t until we asked how the system worked that we learned we get to fill up our basket with whatever is available that week, so we don’t have to take anything we don’t like! However, we made a deal that we will always get one of everything in order to expand our palates.
- Does it make sense for you financially? Keep track of what you usually spend and do the math. We typically spend around $50 per week on produce at the grocery store and our CSA averages about $20 per week, so it was definitely in our budget.
- Keep in mind: there is always the risk that crops can do poorly due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Do your research, and have an open conversation with your farmer about how the season is going!
Resources to get you started:
- LocalHarvest
- JerseyFresh – for NJ residents, broken down by county
- GreensGrow – Philadelphia area
Here’s a few snapshots of our adventures at Cecil Creek Farm:
I hope you enjoy your local CSA as much as we do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
-Nicole
Dinosaurs and Deadlifts 