Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with csa

Help us name our CSA Farm...

jrobin276 — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:28:04 -0800

My husband and I hoping to be the farmers running a CSA farm at a new co-housing development (similar to Prairie Crossing, Ecovillage at Ithaca, or Davis Homes). At some point we will probably need to "pitch" our business - and we have everything but a name; it will undoubtably be easier with a name... and we're at a total loss. Good to know:

We will most likely be leasing; it is possible that we will one day buy our own land somewhere else and move our business, thus I don't want the name to be overly specific to the site.

Anywhere we move is most likely to be within subtropical NSW (Australia), within reasonable striking distance of Sydney. General geographic references perfectly okay.

We're a young-ish couple (30-31) with two cats, and probably a kid in the next few years.

One of us is a local, one from California; we met in Japan. Pacific references (but not Pacific "RIM", bad, right?!) could be okay. Something translated into Japanese could be charming, and a nice nod to our past.

We lean toward the funny/cleaver or nature based. Charming, rather than cute. Bonus points for puns or acronyms that spell something funny (or mean something funny).

We will primarily be growing mixed organic vegetables, CSA + market.

Have you seen Eddie Izzard? Okay, this co-housing group is full of "professional hippies" and out-doorsy types; not "weird-o hippies".

Asethetically, as far as our branding/image goes, we love the cookbooks by Yvette van Boven, What Katie Ate, and Edible Selby: Good lush photography, clean design, handwriting for a personal touch (or similar drawn font).

We have come up with ZERO ideas.. drawing a total blank somehow. Help! =)

Best tools for setting up online store for CSA-type produce business?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:04:55 -0800

You have an online store where customers pay in, say, monthly subscriptions. The customers are able to manage their account online. You also sell a few other items as one-offs via a webstore. None of this requires shipping as your customers pick up in person. What sorts of programs are you using? How do you deal with credit cards? What should this all cost? Any opinions about programs such as Member Assembler, CSAware, Farmigo or DeliveryBizPro? The CSA is pre-existing and would like to shift to an online system for managing accounts and allowing the members to manage their own accounts--payments happen face to face primarily via cash or check at this point. So our fees are low, but also the barrier to joining is high. The ease of online signup would hopefully increase membership.

We'd also like to set up a webstore for single purchase items.

There are a few web-based programs out there that are happy to take 2% of our sales in exchange for putting this all online. No start up cost, but it seems like it would get costly over time. We are currently building a new website, so now is the time to integrate all of this.

How bountiful is your CSA?

Bardolph — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:54:41 -0800

Participants in CSA/Community Supported Agriculture/local farm cropshares-- on average, how much produce does your regular share contain? How does the overall cost stack up against retail veggie pricing? I've heard tons of glowing things about CSAs, so I was excited to sign up for my first one this summer, run through the organic farm of an acquaintance who's fairly new to the game. Now that we're well into it, though, I'm increasingly perplexed by what seem to be the norms for quantity of food received. The pricing works out to ~$60 per biweekly share of produce, but thus far, by my calculations, we have yet to receive more than $15 or so of veggies. A typical recent week's share, for example, was:
1 small squash +
3/4 pint potatoes +
a few tomatoes (3 large, ~10 cherry) +
two small cucumbers+
1 cantaloupe (turned out to be very overripe)+
1 very small and scraggly head of broccoli+
a few stalks of dill

Of course, I do understand that organic produce is naturally going to be more expensive and probably less cosmetically perfect than the standard supermarket stuff. But I'm curious as to whether this cost:value ratio is pretty standard for cropshares (and the sort of thing one takes in stride as part of a commitment to locally-sourced food), or if I just happened to get very unlucky in my first-time choice of CSAs.

I've already decided not to repeat this particular program; but if you are or have been a participant in a CSA where you live-- does this experience sound typical for these arrangements in general, or should I still keep looking into similar programs elsewhere? Thanks!

Healthy Food for 365 Days

kensch — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:41:33 -0800

Maryland: Help me find a nice year-round co-op or CSA in the Baltimore Metro Area? Hi all, I'm a recent transplant to Arbutus in Maryland. I'm looking for a good co-op or CSA in the area (driving distance is fine). I've looked on Local Harvest and other Ask threads, but most of the CSA selection seems to be limited to a specific season, around 8-10 weeks in summer or fall. That's fine, but I was hoping for a group that sources veggies/fruit all year. Does anyone know of a group that works along those lines?

I've been lucky -- I was formerly part of the excellent Purple Dragon Co-op in NJ, which had great selection all year. =)

Farmers' Marketing

glibhamdreck — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:30:54 -0800

I'm looking for a primer on the business-side of the small-scale produce production. Let's say I've got the horticulture down to a science, but I'm still awfully green when it comes to regulations, insurance, markets, etc.

I'm especially interested in the marketing nuances here. Perhaps "market analysis" is a more fitting way to describe the sort of data/analyses that might best inform the tricky business decisions—like, say, farmers' markets versus CSAs versus co-ops versus restaurant supplies?—that are inevitable.

I'm sure I'll find useful any and all recommended blogs, extension publications, periodicals, trade groups, or anything else you might come up with. Thanks for your help.

What local bay area companies offer regular delivery services?

bradbane — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:40:26 -0800

I enjoy my CSA immensely, especially the delivery aspect. What other (local) food and products can I subscribe to in the Bay Area? A few months ago I signed up for a community supported agriculture share, which is delivered weekly to my apartment in downtown Oakland. I love the delivery aspect (I don't own a car), and also that they are a local company selling a local product.

This has led me to wonder - what else can I have delivered on a regular schedule? I am interested in local companies, not Amazon toilet paper subscriptions.

Special snowflake details:
-I live alone, but I cook a lot and work from home a fair amount. Small weekly deliveries would be great, or something like monthly for things with larger minimum orders?

-my building is live-work and mostly offices, so I can get away with places that deliver to businesses only

My first thought was coffee, but none of the local roasting places have delivery info on their websites even though I know I've heard of this being an option.

CSA veggies in Baltimore

pilibeen — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:56:34 -0800

Can anyone recommend a CSA farm with pick-up locations in Baltimore - preferably in or near Canton? Asking for my sister....she's looking to try out the CSA approach to buying produce, but I'm not sure of what's available in the city. I've found a few places on localharvest.org, but would be interested to hear if anyone has any personal recommendations.

Thanks!

Where to find successful survivors of childhood sexual abuse?

eisenkr — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:14:24 -0800

Asking for a friend: How can an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse meet other survivors who have ended up happy and successful in spite of their childhoods? Asking for a friend who wants to remain very anonymous:

I'm looking for support for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. I'm on medication that helps and I've been in therapy for two years, but I'd really like to meet women (ideally gay women) who have ended up happy and successful despite years of abuse and neglect. I think I'm finally on my way to health and happiness, but I want to meet these people so I can start to believe that I too can be happy and successful. Are there any organizations or resources that CSA survivors can use to connect with each other? I wouldn't be comfortable in a group setting, so any sort of group therapy wouldn't work for me. I live in the research triangle area of North Carolina if it matters.

Thanks meta-filter. If you have any questions for my anonymous friend, I'll try to post answers on the board.

How do I deal with community supported agriculture flakes?

melissam — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 09:06:29 -0800

How do I deal with community supported agriculture flakes? I NEED people to pick up their shares. So I have been coordinating CSAs for about two years now. Currently I run my own in NYC. It's going pretty well, demand is higher than supply, but my perennial problem is people who flake out. The whole point of CSA is you invest in a farm and then pick up your returns. Some people invest in our farms and when pickup day comes they say they have a fever, have to pick up the kids at camp, forget that they were entertaining their parents for weekend, ad nauseum. Some of these excuses seem more valid than others, but the fact of the matter is that I don't have the infrastructure to store their perishable share. I have to struggle to sell it or eat it myself, which isn't always possible. I'm not sure how to deal with the problem.

Sometimes it's even worst because while the minimum quantity is prepaid, there is the option to order more. So if they do that and don't pick up, i have to pay the farmer with my own money. The reason I have a minimum quantity and don't require all payment in full is that this is farms we are dealing with and I have no idea what the final weight of the share will be.

Each share has a small fee that goes towards CSA infrastructure, but it's very small and basically pays for things like coolers.

I've thought about :
1. doing what the Park Slope Coop does and suspending them for an allotted amount of time
2. banning them from the club altogether if they miss a share
3. refusing to refund their deposit and donating their share to a homeless shelter and keeping their fee
4. disallowing them from ordering more than the minimum quantity for an allotted amount of them

I hate to be draconian, but I can't afford to run a CSA if people constantly do this.

What do you advise? Tips and opinions would be appreciated!

What makes a good casting director?

moody cow — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:13:42 -0800

What makes a good casting director? Having watched a couple of telly series that have completely different audiences and storylines but some of the same actors (whom I never even recognised until a second viewing) I can't help but wonder what is that you look for when casting people and how do you do it?

A pearfect pickle: up to my ears in Asian pears

booknerd — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:14:37 -0800

What to do with ~20 Asian pears? Looking for recipes, freezing ideas, etc. Our CSA has given us an over-abundance of Asian pears. I know some people love these, but I'm not crazy about the texture of pears by themselves. I can tolerate them if they're thinly sliced in a salad, but I don't really love just biting into one, and my partner feels the same way.

So what should we do with them? I'm planning to make Tartelette's frozen yogurt (maybe a double batch?), but other than that I'm at a bit of a loss. Any and all vegetarian recipes or suggestions are appreciated!

Am I brewing trouble?

overeducated_alligator — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:09:01 -0800

Can I start a private club to function like a CSA, but for homebrewed beer? I enjoy homebrewing beer. Can I collect money from people to pay for the ingredients, and then give them a share of the final brew? Or would this be selling alcohol? I wouldn't be selling per bottle; money would be paid in advance only for ingredients.

I'm not too concerned for now about Rex Banner knocking down my door, but I'm just curious about what the legal status of such a "private club" might be.

(I'm in MA.)

Seeking an organic produce delivery service in Las Vegas.

ryo.pau — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:37:02 -0800

Seeking an organic produce delivery service in Las Vegas. I was using spud.com (based out of LA), until they recently stopped their courier service. The subscription was for a biweekly box of seasonal organic produce, sourced from local farms in California, so what I'm looking for would be similar to a CSA, but obviously not one, as I'd be looking to ship/have it delivered to a house in Las Vegas.

I've come across a few CSAs that require driving to a pickup location, but this subscription would be for my mom, and needs to be delivered to her home.

One of the companies I've found that carries a "Produce Box" is WinderFarms.com, based out of Utah, but I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions, as their box doesn't seem to be as customizable.

Thanks!

Because pressure canning tomatoes from the supermarket feels wrong

mccarty.tim — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:50:51 -0800

I recently got a pressure canner for Christmas, and, being the treehugger that I am, I would like to eat local and join a CSA. Anyone have any advice for finding a good one near the Somerset county, NJ region? General advice on picking out a good CSA/what size share to get/what price to expect/tips on joining is also great. I've never done this before, but I feel like knowing how to can, trying to eat less meat, and generally liking the idea of "eat local" means that this would be a great idea for me. Plus, this would be a good way to force my family out of the "carrots or broccoli" vegetable rut.

I don't live too close to any "real" farmer's market, so I think a CSA is my best option.

Help me to find land for farming!

Sentus — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:28:00 -0800

I am a farmer without a farm... What are my options of leasing some land for agriculture purposes? Howdy,
I worked on organic farm for two years. Deeply interested in gardening and larger scale organic agriculture. Right now I live in a small apartment without a real land to develop.

I am thinking about trying to find some good agri land to lease an hour from a major city. Go there with an RV/ or just camp it out. I will have other people helping out/ having a stake financially.

I think that a small plot of 5-10 acres will be enough. At first sell small scale at farmers markets and then start a C.S.A.

What websites/resources/books will be helpful?
Is leasing for a 10 year period on a fixed amount common?
Are they any websites that help lease small plots of agri land?

Thank you Mefi folks,

At least the question isn't "should I eat it?".

soleiluna — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:52:14 -0800

Name that veg: what is this green, vine-y vegetable/lettuce/herb thing that showed up in my CSA box this week? I live in San Francisco and get deliveries from Farm Fresh to You, but this week there was a mix-up and I got our neighbor's box, not mine. Said neighbor has "exceptions" in her box (disliked fruit/veg that is replaced by other veg) so this unidentified item replaced bok choy. But the folks at Farm Fresh to You couldn't identify it. Please help?

I'm sure the pictures above are more useful, but here's some other info:
-It's possibly seasonal (December) to Northern CA, but the only CUESA-listed item that seemed close was "cress". The company occasionally includes produce from neighboring states.
-I tasted it, it tastes nondescript.
-My cat sniffed and nibbled on it a few times. She doesn't care about vegetables normally, just herbs (and grass.)
-The Farm Fresh employee on the phone thinks it is broccoli raab, but there's no florets, it doesn't taste bitter like normal broccoli raab, and the stems are hollow. And there are those weird vines that almost look like grape vines.
-Nothing on the Farm Fresh list of "exceptions" shipped this week matched this description.
-The vines are the predominant feature, and there's some tiny yellow flowers in there too.

Thank you!

DC CSA 411?

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:45:46 -0800

CSA in Washington DC? Could anyone offer some suggestions, experience or advice on CSAs (community supported agriculture) or some other mean of getting good quality vegetables in the Washington DC area? I can't stand another trip to Whole Foods. I'm looking for a good variety, good value, reliable drop-off.

Some I'm considering are: 1, 2, 3, 4. But any other ideas welcome. Drop off or delivery near DuPont would be ideal.

Thanks!

Lettuce out!

mkb — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:28:05 -0800

I joined a CSA program for the summer and or first pickup has so much lettuce I don't think I cold possibly eat it all this week. What can I do with it besides make salads and put it in sandwiches? Preserving counts! I just don't want to waste anything.

Which CSA in San Francisco should we choose?

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:01:14 -0800

Please recommend to me a CSA that delivers in San Francisco and anything to look for in establishing a good relationship with the farm. Also, what's it like to be the drop-off site for a CSA? We're hoping to start getting produce from a CSA. There appear to be a few that deliver to San Francisco and I'm trying to decide which one would be best for us. We're two adult and one baby, not vegetarians but hoping to increase our vegetable consumption. Direct delivery or pick-up at a central site are both possible. Bonus points if they'll deliver to the Excelsior district but so far none I've found have a drop-off site in our neighborhood. I've emailed Eatwell and Terra Firma about becoming a drop-off site. What else should we be thinking about in deciding who to choose? I'm guessing that we'd enjoy visiting the farm(s) once or twice, too.

what do you wish you would have known when you picked out your CSA?

ialwayscryatendings — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:13:07 -0800

For those of you who have gotten shares in a CSA, what information do you think would be helpful to someone trying to choose which CSA to participate in? More specifically, any recommendations on CSAs in the Twin Cities area? I work at a twin cities food co op, and am trying to put together a guide to local CSAs that we can offer to our customers. There is some information available online, but much of it is outdated and difficult to navigate, plus there are so many factors to consider that it's difficult to organize the information. For those that have experience with CSAs, what information do you think would be helpful to someone choosing which CSA is right for them?

So far, I'm thinking I could make a chart showing cost, what kinds of foods are generally offered, how much food is included in each share, when the food will start and finish arriving, how often shares will arrive, how food will be obtained (whether it can be delivered or must be picked up), whether food is organic, a little general information on the farm itself and whether they offer any other opportunities for share owners (like visits to the farm/recipes etc).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! And, of course, if you have any experience with a twin cities CSA, I would love to hear about it. Thanks so much!

CSA shopping in Chapel Hill

amtho — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:17:38 -0800

CSA recommendation in Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Durham, NC? We're considering buying a share in a local CSA. Looking through the localharvest.org site, I managed to narrow down the choices to about six. Can anyone specifically recommend or derecommend any of these, or any others?

Our criteria include lots of yummy vegetables, dependable, prefer Saturday morning pickup, emphasis on green veggies over starchy veggies, and if possible some control over what we get (although I realize that's not normal).

Current front runners:

Coon Rock Farm

Eco Farm (Chapel Hill)

Lee Farm Produce

Maple Spring Gardens

Timberwood Organics

Genesis Farm (not sure if they're still in the CSA business

Thanks; I know it's kind of a long shot that anyone has relevant experience, but if you do that would be very nice.

hot farmer in the city

chickadee — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:47:05 -0800

How do I break into the sustainable agriculture scene in Chicago? So, I graduated from university in May, and have now wound up in Chicago, job-hunting in a recession. goooo planning!

Originally, I had planned to head into academia after taking a year or so off, but over the summer and the last few months, I’ve done a lot of thinking and realized I would like to do something more tangibly rewarding and something that I can see direct, positive results in the community around me. Also, I am in no way, shape or form ready to commit to a grad school program.

Local, sustainable food production and distribution is a passion of mine - I grew up on a small farm in coastal Maine gardening, cooking and helping round friends' bakeries and food co-ops. In university, I was involved in the campus food co-op, the city's Meals-on-Wheels organization and a small food collective committed to providing cheap vegan meals to students. I believe that inexpensive eating does not have to be mutually exclusive of local, sustainable or even necessarily organic and that encouraging both consumers and producers to focus on this issue is a real way to improve quality of life.

Ideally, i would love a job working in some way with sustainable food issues, be it production, distribution, coordination. I realize this is a vague job description, but ultimately, I would like to promote and expand access to local, sustainably grown foods.

Here is my question to you: how can I best go about achieving a job like this in Chicago?

I am aware of Chicago’s urban gardening programs – i.e. City Farm, Angelic Organics, etc., - and have been stalking NPO.net, Idealist and Craigslist. Should I be emailing or walking into every small organic grocery in Chicago? Any specific tips to gain an food-related, non-office job are much appreciated!

Recipes for a family covered over in bok choy.

Mimzy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:50:18 -0800

We got a huge load of bok choy in our CSA last week, and I'm at a loss as to what to do with it outside of stir-fry. Please, no more stir-fry! Bonus points for dishes that could be frozen.

Can you recommend a Chicago-area CSA

crush-onastick — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:31:55 -0800

Do you belong to a CSA that has deliveries/pick-up locations in Chicago? In Lakeview, specifically? Which do you recommend? Which would you avoid? I've checked the offerings for my zip code at local harvest and am now looking for feedback from anyone who has belonged to any CSA which serves Chicago. We will probably split the share between two households (four adults and one infant). Are we better off going with a half-share for four adults? Two of us are good cooks, and another of us really likes to cook, but we do all work and don't want there to be much waste.

We're interested particularly in King's Hill Farm, Mike and Clare's farm and Fat Blossom Farm. I have written them for more information about what to expect in the boxes, but am looking for personal experiences with any of the farms to help us make our decision. Both households have a car, but all four adults work, so we absolutely cannot drive to the suburbs or the farm to get the weekly box. Weekday pick-ups from any of the green city markets would be okay.

If it goes well, we might move up to one of the ones that offers eggs, dairy and grass-fed meat.

Name that root! (or tuber, I suppose)

uncleozzy — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:34:13 -0800

Can you identify this vegetable? A friend, who gets a weekly drop of produce from a CSA farm, got a vegetable she can't identify in yesterday's harvest. My first thought was rutabaga, but she says the greens aren't right, and the stratification at the bottom is odd. Moreover, she claims that the dark coating is not all dirt. Any ideas? And what does she do with it? Thanks.

(And yes, unfortunately, this is the only photo I have.)