Joined our first CSA!

[MyWar]

I am SO EXCITED, and the growing season can't get here fast enough. We bought a half-share for $400, which comes out to $18 a week for a box of food. There's also pick your own peas, cherry tomatoes, and FLOWERS. The same farm also sells pastured chickens, boned out for $11.50 a bird. Farm fresh eggs for $5/dozen. I cannot believe how cheap this is going to make our food shops, we will be spending about $50 a week (CSA share, 2 chickens, 2 dozen eggs) on fresh, local food.

Whatever we can't eat, I plan to pickle, dry, or freeze. There's also a farm not too far away that does grass-fed beef and pastured pork.

New Jersey is the Garden State for a reason, even if your only exposure to our great state is the Turnpike and Jersey Shore!

[Megan Claydon]

how exciting!

[Terez]

I bought into a CSA for the first time too. Deliveries start in mid-March. I am both looking forward to it and feeling daunted at the prospect of cleaning and prepping all that produce! (I have a full share and it's just me here.)

That's a steal on the pastured chickens for $11.50. I pay around $20 a bird and I'm getting a good price! Of course, that includes the bones -- but still!

[bonnynancy]

_{Jealous! I have to find a CSA around here!}

[LisaV]

I'm also in NJ, was wondering if you could share the name of your CSA?

[MyWar]

I'm also in NJ, was wondering if you could share the name of your CSA?

Sure, it's Griggstown Farm http://www.griggstownquailfarm.com/

If you're not near Princeton, check out this site for more options http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

[MyWar]

I bought into a CSA for the first time too. Deliveries start in mid-March. I am both looking forward to it and feeling daunted at the prospect of cleaning and prepping all that produce! (I have a full share and it's just me here.)

That's a steal on the pastured chickens for $11.50. I pay around $20 a bird and I'm getting a good price! Of course, that includes the bones -- but still!

You're going to have to get super creative! Invest in some preserving equipment and you could make it through winter. That reminds me, I also need a sauerkraut crock...

[Nicole M]

Terez, What CSA did you join? I've been looking for a good one in the DC area.

[Terez]

Nicole, I joined the Blue Tomato Farms CSA. Someone in the raw milk/pastured meat club I belong to sent an off-topic email about the CSA. This person lives in a shared house and they joined two CSAs in 2012. Of the two, she felt that Blue Tomato's produce was superior and the quantity of the share was larger than with the other CSA (I don't know who the other CSA was).

I got a discount by being in a group CSA with that woman who emailed the group about it. I live in Mount Rainier MD (on the border of NE DC) and I will be driving to Takoma Park once a week to pick my share up from this woman's house.

Well, as I look at the site I see they have a "petite" share for one person and "couple/roommate" size for two people. I don't recall that being offered when I signed up at the end of November. Okay, I just looked up the form I was given. It was a custom form for this woman's location and I was only presented with a "weekly share;" there were no size options. Interesting.

Here's another one you might want to look into. No personal recommendations on this other one but I came across this later and it looked interesting. ECO in Edmonston. You would have to drive there to pick up each week. I don't know if it's convenient to you.

Terez

[Sharon Simpson Thumann]

I've tried one CSA where I live and it was rather disappointing. I have inquired about others but I can never get a decent enough answer from their members or coordinator to justify joining. I think for now I will stick to the Saturday morning ritual of going to the local farmers markets and hope for the best.