Laura B Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 The farm I recently started purchasing my eggs and beef from has opened their subscriptions for Fall CSA. It is $275 for 11 weeks (roughly $25/week) and I can pick up my box along with my eggs each week. I am pretty interested in signing up (especially for Fall since the farmer's markets close down), but am a little torn. First, I am not entirely comfortable with not knowing what I'm going to get because it could be corn or beans. I don't want to spend a lot of money on food I really don't want to eat. A lot of pictures they have on their Facebook page show regular potatoes in a lot of weekly boxes. I'm mostly OK with that, but again I would rather spend my money on sweet potatoes. The second conflict I'm having is the price. All of the foods are organic which is awesome, but I just don't know if it is a good price. Sometimes the boxes look super full and other times a little skimpy. I know this all depends on the harvest, but I am apprehensive. I really like supporting them and knowing where my food is coming from so that is a major plus. Here is a link: http://carltonfarms.internet-farmer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=60&products_id=213 For those of you who have a CSA subscription, how do you like it or dislike it? Is this a fair price? (Keep in mind I live in GA, so COL is fairly low compared to the West or Northeast). Any of my ATL buddies CSA subscribers (from Carlton Farms or otherwise)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted August 21, 2012 Moderators Share Posted August 21, 2012 I've been in a CSA over the past year that costs roughly $25 per week and love it (Cherith Farms in Alpharetta, GA). I am confident that I would spend more like $50 at Whole Foods for what I get from the CSA for $25. My farmer disagrees, but I think I'm getting a great deal. Most of us pick up our food on Saturday mornings and I have swapped items I did not want for things I did with other members. No problems. The description of my share is comparable to yours, but I eat it by myself and buy a few things from Whole Foods and Publix too. My wife rarely eats veggies or eggs. I am a bigger eater than many people. I did sometimes have trouble keeping up with all the greens I got at times, but as long as I ate greens three times per day most days, I was able to clear the refrigerator before loading up the next week's share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 It took me a year to learn this with my CSA - hopefully others are quicker on the uptake! - but when you get a glut of something in your box, you can freeze it or put it up in some other way. It seems obvious in retrospect, but at the time I felt overwhelmed by all of the ________ (name your veg) I would get at once. Greens - which are the biggest part of most CSAs - can be blanched and frozen for use in soups and stews throughout the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carie Skeahan Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 At my CSA, I assume this is the same everywhere, I can get a half basket vs. full. When I went out of town a few weeks ago, I asked her to only put together a half basket for me since I was leaving for a few days. And, you can always tell the farmer what you like/don't like. For example, I don't want potatoes or corn in my basket, but I love the bok choi so she loads me up on the stuff I like and keeps the stuff I don't like out. I also pick up 3 dozen eggs from her per week. It is wonderful...I would not do it any other way now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura B Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Thank you all for your input. It is something I am very interested in, and I think it would be pretty affordable split between my boyfriend and myself. I really like the idea of eating fresh, organic, seasonal veggies. I will talk it over with my boyfriend and the farmer on Thursday when I pick up my eggs and chuck roast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alijac Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I love my csa! Get some "green bags" that help the veg keep longer if needed. The farmers often let you swap something you don't want for extra of something else. I always go for extra spinach and kohlrabi (not much competition for the kohlrabi, but it's their loss! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura B Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 The farmer's are super nice (duh) so I will ask them if they could skip some things from my shares. There's also a good amount of people who come to the pickup location, so maybe I'll get lucky with a swap! I'm really excited to have it in the Fall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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