Farm fresh veggies

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bmannen1
bmannen1 Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just heard about a farm near me that you pay a base price in the spring and you get fresh veggies all summers. So for $350 now I would get a box to feed a family of 2 for 2 weeks every 2 weeks from the beginning of July to the middle of October. They are all local and organic which I like but I have no sense if this is a good deal or not. Have any of you participated in a program like this or do you think it sounds like I would get my moneys worth?

Basket Examples

We will be growing approximately 40 types of vegetables and herbs, so each basket will be unique. The following are examples of vegetables you may expect to find in a basket throughout the season.
•Early Spring – Arugula, Bok Choi, Lettuce Greens, Bunching Onion, Radish, Spinach, Cilantro
•Mid Summer – Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Cucumbers, Kale, Head Lettuce, Zucchini, Dill
•Fall – Beets, Potatoes, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Pumpkin, Winter Radish, Spinach, Squash, Swiss Chard, Rutabaga
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Replies

  • ChristineMiller2
    ChristineMiller2 Posts: 116
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    I just heard about a farm near me that you pay a base price in the spring and you get fresh veggies all summers. So for $350 now I would get a box to feed a family of 2 for 2 weeks every 2 weeks from the beginning of July to the middle of October. They are all local and organic which I like but I have no sense if this is a good deal or not. Have any of you participated in a program like this or do you think it sounds like I would get my moneys worth?

    Basket Examples

    We will be growing approximately 40 types of vegetables and herbs, so each basket will be unique. The following are examples of vegetables you may expect to find in a basket throughout the season.
    •Early Spring – Arugula, Bok Choi, Lettuce Greens, Bunching Onion, Radish, Spinach, Cilantro
    •Mid Summer – Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Cucumbers, Kale, Head Lettuce, Zucchini, Dill
    •Fall – Beets, Potatoes, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Pumpkin, Winter Radish, Spinach, Squash, Swiss Chard, Rutabaga

    I've heard of them, around here they are marketed as "co ops" I've never participated in them but I don't think I would hesitate too!
  • ChristineMiller2
    ChristineMiller2 Posts: 116
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    and the only reason I don't is because we have a farm, otherwise I probably would!
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
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    How many baskets total would you be getting?
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I first would see what the price of those foods are in your local market and then see how much you would actually use. Could be a great deal if you actually use it often.

    I have a garden where I grow some of my own things. I know around here in the summer you can buy a dozen ear of corn for $2.50 at the farmers markets, and my 3 tomato plants for a cheap price keep me in tomatoes for a long time
    Some places veggies are more expensive than others.


    Sit down and do some math to see if you think it would be worth it for you.
  • jwooley13
    jwooley13 Posts: 243
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    I've done CSA's before and I LOVED it! First of all, if you eat lots of veggies in the first place, it will save you some money. Second, you learn to cook all kinds of things that you usually wouldn't find in the store. Overall, I highly recommend it :)
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    In looking at it.....I am not so sure it would be a good deal. Quite a few vegetables that you can use often, and also freeze/can, arent on the list.

    Almost seems like too much $$
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
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    These are also called CSA boxes (community supported agriculture). This will be my fifth year of doing a CSA share, and I love it! When you price them out, the ones with pickup locations generally compare favorably price-wise with farmers markets or organic produce from the grocery store. (The home delivery ones will obviously be more expensive.)

    ETA: My CSAs have generally been $400-$500 for a 20-week share, including a dozen eggs every other week. The last two years, though, I moved to a three-season share that runs from April through November.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    7 or 8 baskets for $350? I think you need to compare the price of the items from your grocery store in order to know if there is a savings. The fall baskets look like they may contain $20 worth of foods or more, but the spring baskets do not, to me. Maybe there is a larger amount of each item in the spring baskets. I think I agree with thavoice.

    But, knowing you are getting fresh, local produce is worth a bit of $$ also, IMO.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    That list wouldn't do it for me. No peppers or tomatoes? I probably wouldn't eat half of what's on it! I suppose if you'd eat all of those things, it would be worth it. I grow all of my own veggies and it's a LOT of work, so if you can't grow your own, go for it, or at least split a box with another family to try it out first?
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    That's an average CSA produce share price for my area. I've found that boxes here are typically around:

    $500-$575 for a large weekly box (feeds 4)
    $300-$500 for a small box weekly, or larger box every other week

    The box we went with this year runs 18 weeks, small box each week, and it was $335. Delivery is to a drop site about a mile from my home. The farm is family owned, small, local, and certified organic.

    A couple considerations:
    Is the drop site convenient?
    Do you have refrigerator/storage space for that quantity of vegetables?
    Is an every-other-week box right for you? I find that I prefer to get smaller quantities weekly for storage and freshness reasons.
    Do you have someone who can pick up your box for you if you're out of town or unavailable?
    Do you like the offerings? I chose a farm that adds fruit (berries, melons) to the boxes and extras like cider, maple syrup, and eggs

    As for value, I think they're absolutely worth it. Being a CSA member means we eat more vegetables, a wider variety of produce, don't have to visit farmer's markets (which is good since we're gone most weekends and that's when my preferred market takes place), and are challenged to try new recipes every week. You also personally support a small farm, often family-owned.

    Downside: You end up with a lot of some produce - find kohlrabi recipes now! You have to plan for it: storage space in the refrigerator, menus, etc, because some has to be eaten promptly or it spoils. You are also at the mercy of the weather, just like the farmer is. Terribly wet, hot, or cool summer? That will change your options. Some awful summers result in really meager boxes (and great summers mean huge boxes!). It's a risk, but that's what you sign up for when you join a CSA - you're helping keep that farm in business, for good and for bad.

    Overall, we're big CSA supporters - just know what you're getting into :)
  • jigsawxyouth
    jigsawxyouth Posts: 308 Member
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    I participate in Blue Sky, Green Fields produce program at my work. What I pay depends on what I put in the delivery, so one week I could spend 30 bucks, and then be set for two weeks. When I first started using it, I would go crazy and get so much stuff, without thinking about "hey, I need to use this before it goes bad!" (this was before I was introduced to green smoothies... NOTHING is wasted here, any more!) Another perk of the program is that the produce and other products come from local farms and companies.

    https://blueskygreenfields.com/

    If you're not consistent in getting produce, it probably wouldn't be worth it... However, try and see if your town does a local farmers market (I work in the city, so every Saturday in the spring/summer, farmers come out and sell their produce for awesome prices all in one place) or be on the look out for local farms with stands...
    I live in Ohio, so I pass a few vegetable/fruit stands here!
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    In looking at that list, I don't think it is a good deal. Where is the broccoli? The tomatoes? The peppers? It seems like a lot of lettuce, and cilantro and dill are things you can grow easily on your own windowsill.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    That list wouldn't do it for me. No peppers or tomatoes? I probably wouldn't eat half of what's on it! I suppose if you'd eat all of those things, it would be worth it. I grow all of my own veggies and it's a LOT of work, so if you can't grow your own, go for it, or at least split a box with another family to try it out first?
    Agreed. My first comment was before reading what they could get.No tomatoes or corn would be a big turn off, for me.

    I also do my own garden and it can be alot of work weeding and such, and when I see a dozen ear for $2.50 I wonder if it is even worth the effort!

    but for whatever reason, and I know its mental, but corn/tomatoes from your own garden just taste better right!!!!

    $350 sounds like alot, but then again i am in the middle America surrounded by agriculture
  • bmannen1
    bmannen1 Posts: 77 Member
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    That list wouldn't do it for me. No peppers or tomatoes? I probably wouldn't eat half of what's on it! I suppose if you'd eat all of those things, it would be worth it. I grow all of my own veggies and it's a LOT of work, so if you can't grow your own, go for it, or at least split a box with another family to try it out first?

    I don't think that is all that is included just examples. They said that they grow over 40 different veggies so there are a lot that are not included on this list...
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
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    This seems like a nice idea if you have the extra cash to throw at it but the cost to product ratio would turn me off of it even if I didn't have my own high producing garden. I thought I threw a lot of money at my homegrown food but it's nothing compared to those prices.Now I feel better about my 'expensive' hobby.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
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    7 or 8 baskets for $350? I think you need to compare the price of the items from your grocery store in order to know if there is a savings. The fall baskets look like they may contain $20 worth of foods or more, but the spring baskets do not, to me. Maybe there is a larger amount of each item in the spring baskets. I think I agree with thavoice.

    But, knowing you are getting fresh, local produce is worth a bit of $$ also, IMO.

    Agreed!
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    The CSA we belong to does over 40 veggies and herbs, too! It goes from June through October. And we pay $600 and we get weekly veggies. It averages to $30/week. IDK about veggies in your area, but I can easily spend that at the grocery store. The good thing with the large variety is if one veggie doesn't do well, there is usually other veggies that thrive. And we get a generous amount. It is a lot of money. But it has been worth it for us. I have been exposed to so many veggies that I had never even heard of (bok choy!) and when the CSA season is over - I MISS it. I take my son with me to pick up the veggies and he often eats some in the car on the way home. (He's 5... and a VERY picky eater.)
    This year, I also bought extra tomatoes for canning.

    Your's sounds like half the veggies/half the price. So it is probably a good way to start. We started the first year with half a share. This will be our 4th year and I have learned how to cook and preserve the veggies, so we don't waste much. If I had gotten this many the first year, I would have wasted A LOT.

    I *am* trying to grow some of my own veggies... but I am rarely successful. Last year I had beautiful blooms on my squash plants and they never grew into squash. (Something about pollinating. Bees! Do your jobs!)
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
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    I *am* trying to grow some of my own veggies... but I am rarely successful. Last year I had beautiful blooms on my squash plants and they never grew into squash. (Something about pollinating. Bees! Do your jobs!)

    You can hand pollinate your squash. Identify the male flowers and pick one in the morning, exposing the anther by peeling back the petals, then touch the female stigma with the pollen laden male. One male can be used on several females. If your plant is only producing males, they can be cut like a flower and stored in a vase containing a little water in the refrigerator for several days while you wait for the females to fully develop.

    It sounds complicated but it's actually very easy. Just rub the lovers together and your female flowers will soon be producing lots of squash. Be sure to pick squash before they get large because large fruits will signal the plant to reduce flower production.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I've been thinking of joining our CSA. We eat a ton of vegetables, and ours also has dried goods and dairy. They have weekly prices that are reasonable, and pretty flexible policies.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I love just going to our farmers market every Saturday and choosing exactly the veggies we feel like eating for the week.
    They also have grassfed meats including yummy pork sausage, baked goods and amazing eggs!

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