CSA Questions

[GoddessKristie]

For those of you who have CSAs or have been a member of a CSA, how is the food packaged? I can see just putting some veggies in a box, but what about little things like peas and beans?
I'm not starting a CSA (at least not any time soon), but I just wondered.

[kanoelani3]

We love our CSA here. They are quite a large farm with several full time employees -- I think that they have about two hundred subscribers. Because they are so large, the use a Farmer's Market style. So, we go once a week within a set time (about 4 hours), and pick what we want. Each week there is a maximum number of pounds per subscription and there are limits on each type of produce. So, during one week, there might be a 5 lb limit, as well as a limit of 7 tomatoes. The CSA offers "individual" subscriptions as well as "family" subscriptions. The limits on the family subscription tend to be about twice that of the "individual" subscription. The left over produce is composted.

~Lani

[njmama]

Our csa has long tables set up with most of the vegetables loose in clear plastic tubs. We choose what we want and they have to fit in our basket with the exception of melons. They offer three basket sizes 1/4 bushel, 1/2 bushel and a bushel. Peas aren't offered but cherry tomatoes are in containers like the grocery. I take them back so they can reuse them. Beans are loose. They have plastic bags you can put them in if you would like.

You can see some of the veggies at the top of this page:

http://www.muthfamilyfarm.com/this-seasons-produce.htm

[JHinCA]

We have belonged to 2 different CSA over the years. Each suited our needs for the time and each continues to be successful and popular.

CSA #1 had the option of picking up on the farm one day a week or picking up at a drop-off point in town. We tried both options. It was fun to got to the farm, especially for kids, but more convenient to pick up in town. The town drop-off involved meeting the farmers and their truck near a park. The produce was packaged in plastic bags (if needed) in brown paper grocery bags. You had the option to get a bunch of fresh flowers for an additional fee. There was no choice otherwise. All the bags were the same.
CSA #1 asked for a pre-season payment of an amount I don't remember. You also paid weekly varying amounts depending on what was available that week. It came out to be a *little* cheaper than the farmers market

CSA#2 was a cooperation between 2 farms. You had the option of picking up at one of the farms or choosing one of the-drop off sites that was convenient for you.
We picked ours up off another member's front porch. You could go anytime between (I think it was) noon and 8 pm. There was a stack of waxed boxes each with a large plastic bag containing a weekly share. Items were individually bagged inside if necessary. You checked your name off the list, removed your plastic bag, flattened the box and left it in a neat stack to be reused next week. There was a box where you could put items that you really didn't want. If someone else had left in that box something you wanted, you could take it in exchange. There was also the option of fresh flowers for an additional fee. CSA#2 required payment for about 1/3 of the season at a time. Or you could pay for the whole season at once and get a small discount. It came out to be about the same price as buying at the farmers market.

Both CSAs sent email earlier letting you know what was coming and offering recipe suggestions for some items.

[mistletoad]

Most of our CSA supporters get their shares delivered. We use bushel baskets (full and half) with a mix of clamshells (recycled and biodegradable), recycled paper bags and biodegradable "poly" bags.

Here is a picture of some of the baskets being loaded for delivery early last spring.

[GoddessKristie]

Originally Posted by JHinCA

Both CSAs sent email earlier letting you know what was coming and offering recipe suggestions for some items.

I like that a lot!

I have really enjoyed reading about how everyone's CSA's worked! The way Kano described the large CSA really cleared things up for me. I wondered how these huge farms get hundreds of boxes packed with specific amounts of produce!

Another question I have: How do they determine how much produce will feed 2 people or 4 people? Is it a poundage or volume? I've seen "1/2 bushel" put on things, and that being described as about a brown paper bag full, but wouldn't 1/2 a bushel be a square measuring 32"? That doesn't sound like a brown paper bag to me! (I'm TERRIBLE with math, so please forgive and feel free to correct if this is wrong!)


ANYONE ELSE WITH CSA QUESTIONS CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK HERE!!

[rambler]

Originally Posted by GoddessKristie

I've seen "1/2 bushel" put on things, and that being described as about a brown paper bag full, but wouldn't 1/2 a bushel be a square measuring 32"? That doesn't sound like a brown paper bag to me!

A bu is a cubic (3D) thing. Your 32" square is a 2D thing.

A 1/2 a bu of 1110 cubic inches would be a cube about 10.5" on all 3 sides? Not 32" on 2 sides.

Just measured a paper bag, 12" x 17" x 7" = 1428 cubic inches, or just over a 1/2 bu in volume.

--->Paul

[GoddessKristie]

Originally Posted by rambler

A bu is a cubic (3D) thing. Your 32" square is a 2D thing.

A 1/2 a bu of 1110 cubic inches would be a cube about 10.5" on all 3 sides? Not 32" on 2 sides.

Just measured a paper bag, 12" x 17" x 7" = 1428 cubic inches, or just over a 1/2 bu in volume.

--->Paul

Der. Thanks!