Skip to content

Living an Environmentally and Budget Friendly Life

Category: Food

CSAs

A couple of years ago I was first introduced to the idea of CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture.  I thought it sounded like something I might like to join.  Instead I quickly forgot all about our conversation (I probably got distracted by a change in conversation topic…or a shiny object. You know, those things happen often when you’re me.)  

Fast forward a year or two: more people were talking about CSAs.  This time there must not have been any shiny objects around, because I started researching local farms, and decided I wanted to buy local.  I liked the idea of supporting the local economy, getting fresher food, and not supporting transporting food thousands of miles which is what I end up doing when I shop at the grocery store.  It was late summer and tomato season, and I wanted to give canning a try, so I stopped by several farm stands, buying tomatoes while getting a feel for each farm.  I found several great farms, with excellent quality produce, but all too far away to visit weekly as a CSA member.  I visited one farm stand in my town, but was unimpressed with the quality of the produce for the prices.   By this time it was late fall and I stopped focusing on fresh produce. 

CSAs

Last month, a friend mentioned CSAs again, and told me she was looking into Garman Farm in Middletown, RI.   I had found them last summer and was interested, but hadn’t had a chance to visit or try their produce.  I investigated a bit more and liked what I saw.  This week, on Garman Farm’s Facebook page, I saw that they’re advertising sign-ups for their 2016 summer/fall Farm Share/CSA program.  

What is the cost to participate in a CSA?

Everything looked great, but something was still holding me back.  Maybe because it seemed expensive?  $499 for 20 weeks, 7 items per week, comes out to $3.56 per item.  $25 per week.  At a glance, that seemed like a lot.  I can buy a head of lettuce or some peppers for a couple dollars or less.  But fresh fruit (watermelon, berries) is often much more than $4 per unit.  And at Garman Farm, everything is organic.  My comparisons were to mostly non-organic foods, since I am still in the process of shifting to organic.  Ok, thinking about the price tag on organic, this is looking more cost effective.  Next, I looked at how much I was spending on groceries in an average week.  I was guessing about $25.  So if I spent that $25 just on produce through this farm share, everything else I bought would be additional money out of my pocket that I wasn’t currently spending.  I was starting to lean away from the CSA again.  But because I am a nerd, I track all of my purchases, so I was able to find out the real answer.  I was actually spending over $50/week on average.  And I can’t tell you the last time I brought home 7 different types of produce in 1 week.  So if I spend half of my current weekly  grocery total on the CSA produce, I still have $25/week to fill in with other food.  Plus, if I fill up on all this produce, maybe I will actually be able to spend less on other items.  I was still hemming and hawing about whether or not I should join.  

What made me decide to join a CSA

A few days ago, after snacking too much on unhealthy treats (hey, it’s Girl Scout cookie season, how am I supposed to say no to Thin Mints!?) I decided that I needed to get back on a whole foods healthier eating plan.  I went to the grocery store and bought a big bunch of “grown in USA” kale.  Neither organic nor locally grown kale was available, but I took the best I could get.  I chopped it all up and tossed it in a huge pot with an inch of water and some garlic, simmered for a while, then dumped a big pile on my plate.  

CSAs 

I added some lemon juice and dug in.  Oh. My. Gosh. It was delicious! Crunchy, slightly sweet.  What? Kale, sweet?  No, it’s supposed to be bitter, and a little tough.  Maybe stringy too.  How did I like this stuff in the past?  All I had ever eaten before was pre-chopped, sold in a plastic bag.  And I used to think that crap was good.  But now I know what kale is supposed to taste like.  It was good!

And at that moment that I decided that I needed to join a CSA.  I need to have that field to plate fresh food.  It’s worth the extra time to prepare, the extra time to drive a little farther away to the farm, and the higher quality food is worth paying a little more per piece of produce.  On top of that, by joining a CSA, I am supporting something I believe in – helping to support the local economy, supporting locally and organically grown food, and supporting my health.  This year, I am trying out Community Supported Agriculture.  My registration for Garman Farm’s 2016 Farm Share/CSA is in the mail!

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Print
Author DianaPosted on February 25, 2016September 25, 2017Categories All, FoodTags community supported agriculture, farm share, organic

Posts navigation

Previous page Page 1 … Page 8 Page 9

Pages

  • About
  • Archives
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Welcome

About

Hi, and welcome to MyGreenerLiving! I’m Diana - a frugal shopping, food loving, healthy baking nature lover. I am here to share with you my adventures in living a budget friendly, chemical-free (or close to it) life; by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my body with natural foods and products.

Do you want to receive new posts via Email?

Enter your email address and I'll let email you each time there is a new post on MyGreenerLiving.

Search My Greener Living

Recent Posts

  • Tips for a Frugal Holiday Season
  • Great Money Making Apps and Websites – an update for 2019
  • Gemstone jewelry cleaner – simple, frugal, and effective
  • My simple and frugal night guard (mouth guard) cleaner
  • Sunscreen lip balm

Find me on social media!

  • View MyGreenerLiving’s profile on Facebook
  • View MyGreenerLiving’s profile on Twitter
  • View MyGreenerLiving’s profile on Pinterest
Proudly powered by WordPress