Are any of you members of a csa?

[Skittle68]

I'm thinking about joining a CSA next year (a community supported agricultural group for those of you who don't know). Do any of you do this? Do you find that it's worth it? Should I maybe try to find someone to split it with me?

 

[Dawgluver]

That's where they deliver weekly produce, right? My brother and his wife used to belong to one, and when we visited last year, what I noticed was an awful lot of produce just sitting and rotting on the counter. They couldn't keep up. You might want to split a membership!

 

[justplainbill]

You may want to try it for 1 season.
Pros:
-opportunity to sample new produce
-contributes to a 'worthy' cause
-encourages consumption of wholesome foods
-can provide an opportunity to meet new people
Cons:
-can make meal planning a challenge
-availability / selection of the produce you prefer may be limited
-sort of a one way street (you pay in advance for the CSAs best efforts and suffer the consequences of their failures)
-can be expensive on a price per pound basis

 

[Skittle68]

If I do it I will probably end up freezing quite a bit, possibly cooking full meals and freezing them individually so things don't go to waste.

I heard that the price per lb is low compared to a grocery store (kind of like buying a side of beef), unless of course the farm has a bad year, like with this draught in the Midwest.

 

[justplainbill]

Our CSA charges $70 for 120 chicken eggs ( 6 eggs per week for 20 weeks).
That quantity of eggs can pretty much be produced by not much more than one chicken.

 

[Skittle68]

Our CSA charges $70 for 120 chicken eggs ( 6 eggs per week for 20 weeks).
That quantity of eggs can pretty much be produced by not much more than one chicken.

That's ridiculous. All of them are different of course, but the average price I was told was that it was $300 for the year and you generally get about 300 lb of produce.

I buy farm fresh eggs from a local lady with chickens for $1/dozen. I certainly wouldn't be part of THAT csa.

 

[Andy M.]

Our CSA charges $70 for 120 chicken eggs ( 6 eggs per week for 20 weeks).
That quantity of eggs can pretty much be produced by not much more than one chicken.

$7.00 a dozen! They must be special!

 

[CWS4322]

I am not a member of a CSA...however, I do have 6 families that come and get eggs, veggies...so I guess I'm a CSA provider...

 

[CWS4322]

$7.00 a dozen! They must be special!

Wow! I feel bad about asking $4/dozen. Hmmm...maybe I can ship my excess eggs there and get $7 / dozen.

I figure it costs about $1.25 for the feed that I buy. I also free-range my hens. And then there is the time to feed them, lock them up at night, clean up after them, etc. I'm making about 50 cents/hour caring for the hens--sorry, that is -50 cents an hour. But, who knew having chickens could be som much FUN!!!

 

[CWS4322]

That's ridiculous. All of them are different of course, but the average price I was told was that it was $300 for the year and you generally get about 300 lb of produce.

I buy farm fresh eggs from a local lady with chickens for $1/dozen. I certainly wouldn't be part of THAT csa.

That person is losing $. If I could, I'd sell the girls' eggs for $1/dozen, but I can't

 

[Skittle68]

I am not a member of a CSA...however, I do have 6 families that come and get eggs, veggies...so I guess I'm a CSA provider...

Selling eggs/produce is not a CSA- in a CSA membership people pay for a share at the beginning of the season, and get a percentage of the produce. It can be a really good deal, or you can get screwed if it's a bad year.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Not a member, never been a member ~~ not sure one exist around me..Based on what I've read here and there it's mostly a license to steal $7 - $9 a dozen eggs. They kill one hog and 8 people get a Boston Butt....really??? ~ Milk a cow, and everybody gets a pint of milk a week....A pint a week??? What the H. E. double El ya do wit dat??? Huh??? ~~~ I get $3 a dozen for eggs...those I don't give away. It pays my feed bill every month. ~~~ I'm sure there's OK programs out there...but mostly what I read about.....Buyer Beware!!

 

[justplainbill]

That's ridiculous. All of them are different of course, but the average price I was told was that it was $300 for the year and you generally get about 300 lb of produce.

I buy farm fresh eggs from a local lady with chickens for $1/dozen. I certainly wouldn't be part of THAT csa.

Too many artsy fartsy snobs, who appear to have money to burn, have invaded my area. Our CSA has legal status as a not for profit educational organization and is staffed mainly by volunteers. The banjo playing management of this operation consider it to be a noble experiment worthy of charging what the market will bear. It's certainly noble in the sense that the property it occupies traces its origins to a 17th century king's grant.
We're willing to pay $4 to $5 per dozen for really tasty eggs, but $7 is obscene.

 

[justplainbill]

Not a member, never been a member ~~ not sure one exist around me..Based on what I've read here and there it's mostly a license to steal $7 - $9 a dozen eggs. They kill one hog and 8 people get a Boston Butt....really??? ~ Milk a cow, and everybody gets a pint of milk a week....A pint a week??? What the H. E. double El ya do wit dat??? Huh??? ~~~ I get $3 a dozen for eggs...those I don't give away. It pays my feed bill every month. ~~~ I'm sure there's OK programs out there...but mostly what I read about.....Buyer Beware!!

++1

 

[Steve Kroll]

Our CSA charges $70 for 120 chicken eggs ( 6 eggs per week for 20 weeks).

That's obscene. The CSA we used to belong to charged $3 a dozen, which I thought was a very good price for the quality.

We did the CSA thing for a year. I thought the value was good overall, but what I didn't like was the "mystery basket" aspect of it, or the fact that it was generally more food than we could eat. These days I get my veggies from the farmers market. I get to pick what I want as opposed having someone else pick it for me.

 

[Dawgluver]

That's obscene. The CSA we used to belong to charged $3 a dozen, which I thought was a very good price for the quality.

We did the CSA thing for a year. I thought the value was good overall, but what I didn't like was the "mystery basket" aspect of it, or the fact that it was generally more food than we could eat. These days I get my veggies from the farmers market. I get to pick what I want as opposed having someone else pick it for me.

My brother lives in your neck of the woods, Steve, and they also cancelled their membership. There are some great farmers markets around there.

 

[Hoot]

The banjo playing management

Speaking as a banjo player, why is it that banjo pickers get no respect?

 

[Whiskadoodle]

My Fr is a CSA member. She splits a membership with her sister. And she gives a lot to her brother too. It seems like there is a lot to use up each week in smaller households. I have been on the receiving end too, so it doesn't seem to go to waste around here. As a comparison, I like that you can just buy smaller amounts at local food coops and farmer's markets. I recognize not everyone has such places to shop like we seem to have here. I have so much stuff in the house right now, I don't think I could handle a weekly CSA order. The produce my fr receives is quite varied, all fresh and freshly harvested.

 

[Dawgluver]

Speaking as a banjo player, why is it that banjo pickers get no respect?

Not true, Hoot! We love banjo!

 

[Hoot]

Thanks...I reckon I just needed to stand up for us.....