CSA Questions

[Guest guest]

There are several CSA's here in the Sacramento area, but truthfully, I haven't found it necessary to join one just because of all the local produce easily available to me here. We also have a great food co-op. But a lot of people around here do still join them, for the convenience, the quality of the food, and to support our local farms. I've heard nothing but good things about our CSA's.

 

You have to learn to be really creative with veggies, lol. I eat a LOT of veggies, but even I have a hard time using it all so it doesn't go bad. I'm learning how to freeze and dehydrate food, and I'm trying to force myself to learn how to can, lol.

 

If you are trying to hide veggies for young kids, that's actually easy. You can blend them up and add them to meals, and the kids won't know they are eating veggies. I also make "pulp" muffins from the leftover pulp when I make juice. Oh, you might want to invest in a jack LaLanne juicer, or something similar. You'd be surprised how many veggies your kids (or husband) will drink when you run them thru the juicer with some grapes, blueberries, strawberries etc. for sweetness. They'll never know what is in the juice, and it's GREAT nutrition. I always juice tomatoes, celery, beets, carrots, even spinach and broccoli, you name it.

 

Jerry Seinfeld's wife (Jessica?) has a cookbook out specifically on how to add veggies to your meals so the kids won't know. I looked at it in Barnes and Noble, it's really cute, and full of some good ideas. Cyndi

 

In a message dated 4/7/2008 10:13:04 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, suprmommy writes:

Ok... I have read some info on CSA's and also have some flyers fromlocal farms. I was just wondering. if any one has done this and canexplain how it worked for them. How much of veggies did they get aweek? Enough? Too little? Any problems? Thanks Michelle.

 

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[Guest guest]

Ok... I have read some info on CSA's and also have some flyers from

local farms. I was just wondering. if any one has done this and can

explain how it worked for them. How much of veggies did they get a

week? Enough? Too little? Any problems? Thanks Michelle.

****************

Michelle,

We joined a CSA last year, our first time. How much you will get will

depend on lots of things. First it depends on how well the crops do, or

don't do. That's the big gamble you take paying in advance. How much you

get also depends on your particular CSA and how much they give out. It also

depends on what size of share you sign up for...most places give 1/2 shares

as well as full shares(some even give 1/4 shares). Usually they will tell

you somewhere in the literature how much each will feed. We had a full

share last year and we could barely keep up with using all the produce per

week(we are a family of 5). How much you want & how much you can eat also

depends on if you usually eat little or alot of veggies or are a vegetarian.

If you don't eat much veggies you won't use as much veggies per week, so you

might not need a full share.

 

There were married couples and singles also in our csa and most of them

elected to get 1/2 shares....except the vegan couple we had, they got a full

share.

 

Also check and see if they tell you what they are planting this season. Our

csa had us fill out a checklist of which veggies we wanted and they planted

quantities based on who wanted what....except I found that even though

people wanted some things, sometimes they didn't plant things because they

didn't personally like those veggies.lolol

You are also free to not take veggies they give you if you don't want them

or won't use them. If your csa is flexible, if they know you don't eat x,

you might get double of y-which you do like.

 

Last year with our full share, we picked up a full bag of veggie every week.

When the season was in full swing, it was often 2 bags a week. Since I

volunteered on the farm I also got extras now and again if the crop did well

or if someone didn't want/like something.

 

You should be able to call and ask the csa folks what size they recommend

for your number of people and your veggie intake per week.

 

The one tip I can give you, once you do start getting your veggies. Wait

until AFTER you get your weekly share before planning menus are doing any

other produce shopping at grocery stores for the week. I learned this the

hard way.lol It takes forethought and planning to use everything up in

time.

And if there is a bumper crop year, think about perserving the extras you

can't eat before things go bad.

 

HTH,

sluggy