5 Reasons to Try a CSA
I have been using a CSA off and on for 20 years. So, I’m often surprised when I mention it and people don’t know what I’m talking about. So, first off, what is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, sometimes it will be called a farm share.
The concept is simple, local farmers offer a subscription program where your money is used to help them operate their farm and grow veggies (and possibly also fruit and animal products) and in turn, you get a weekly share of whatever is grown.
Depending on the program, you may drive to the farm to get your food or, more often than not, there will be various local drop off points where you can grab your bag each week.
Some CSAs have a “working share” and “non-working share” option. With a “working share” you go to the farm for a certain amount of hours and help with tasks. This is the cheaper option and is really great if you would love to get a taste of working on a farm or if you have kids that would like to have that kind of experience. The “non-working shares” are just what they sound like, you don’t work on the farm and you pay a bit more to simply receive your produce.
Each CSA is different, some just deliver whatever they’ve grown and what’s in season and you don’t get to choose what you get. Some let you choose. Most of them will let you leave out things you really dislike and get extra of the things you love, if they have any. Many send a weekly newsletter about the farm and produce. Many offer large shares and small shares, so you can choose based on the size of your family.
In my personal experience over 20 years with at least 4 different CSAs, it has always been worth it. I’ll tell ya why…
#1 - Access to the Freshest Produce Around
Even when you buy organic or you have a super cool grocery store that offers excellent quality produce, it has likely had to travel quite a distance to get to the store. Then, it sits in the store for days (or longer) waiting for you to take it home with you. Finally, it may sit in your fridge for another few days before you use it. Studies have shown that the longer the time between harvesting and consuming your fruits and veggies, the more nutrient loss. So, if you get locally grown produce, you are going to have a lot more phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants available to you through your food. Aside from growing your own food, which is ideal, a CSA or the farmer’s market is the best way to do that. Also, your produce will have been picked at the perfect time, it will be ripe and have the best taste and texture possible. And much of the time, they use organic practices, even if they haven’t been able to get certified. So, you’re getting less pesticides on you food, too!
#2 - Getting a Chance to Try Different Types of Veggies and Fruits
Most local farms are not going to be growing the same varieties of produce you’d find in the store. This is a good thing! They will be growing the food that grows well in your area at that specific time of year. They will also choose a type of tomato or carrot or broccoli that is suited to your area and has superior flavor and texture. And it becomes a culinary adventure to decide what you will do with these lovely veggies! Instead of choosing recipes and going to the store to just grab the produce that shows up in the recipe, you can build your menu around the produce you received that week. Finding creative ways to use my CSA box has been really fun for me and my family.
#3 - It’s Economical
If you can’t grow your own garden, which is definitely a great way to save money on healthy food, this is probably one of your more inexpensive ways to get produce. I have found that we usually get more than enough veggies each week to feed our family. Sometimes, I admit, I’ll have an off week and get a bit overwhelmed by how much produce is hanging out in my house. Then, I have to get a bit creative to use it and try not to waste anything. Currently, I have 4 or 5 winter squashes sitting in my kitchen! At least those keep for awhile. Also, when there are extras, the farmers will often throw in unexpected treats. I have received surprise fruit, flowers, and unusual veggies in my boxes in the past.
#4 - It Really Helps Us Meet Our Daily Fruit and Vegetable Servings
I don’t know about you, but I can find getting 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day a bit…daunting. I continue to work on it, because I firmly believe that this is a big part of a healthy and long life. When I am not with a CSA and relying on myself to plan out and buy enough produce for our whole family to consume the appropriate amount, I inevitably fall short. I will choose recipes and order what is called for and then I might buy some fruit for snacking or breakfast, but it’s just not enough to meet the daily requirements. And if I did manage to buy all that produce at the grocery store, it would probably cost me a mint! When I have a weekly CSA delivery, I feel like we are getting more produce than I would probably buy at the store and we feel compelled to eat it, because we paid for it, it’s already in our house, and we don’t want to waste it.
#5 - We are Supporting Local
I like knowing where my food is coming from. I like getting a chance to meet the people who grew it. I like to put my money back into a local, small business that needs that money to survive and thrive. Often, a CSA will have other opportunities available as well. Usually you can visit the farm and there might be other activities that they do all year. My current CSA welcomes visitors during working hours and they also have an annual BBQ where all the members are invited to come together and enjoy the food and farm and get to know the other people that are a part of the CSA. In the area that we live in Southwest Virginia, I have used 3 different CSA’s. They were all fantastic! The only reason I ever left a CSA or switched to another one was based on my particular circumstances, finances, or the ease with which I could pick up my veggies. I have never been disappointed when I belonged to a CSA.
Shout out to my current CSA Riverstone Organic Farm! If you are local, go and check them out.
I hope this will encourage you to look into a CSA in your area. If you do, let me know! Sadly, not everyone has access to them. But, they have become a lot more common in recent years and the more support they get, the more we’ll see them around.
