Farm Livin’ Is NOT The Life For Me

That’s why I love CSA’s.  All of the benefits of living on farm – none of the hard work or early rising.  This Chick is NOT a morning person, folks.

Tip Of The Day:   Read on to learn how you can support local farms and feed your family the freshest fruits and veggies, without spending a fortune.  Or, watch it tonight on Fox 9 News at 5 PM.  Or, do both.  Your options are endless.

Tip For Tomorrow:  There’s a whole bunch of tipping going on.  I’ve got Readers’ Tips aplenty, which means once again, other people are doing my job for me.  Bless.

Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal:  Back in the day (as my BFF Larue and I like to say), all of our eats came fresh from the farm and straight to our table.  Okay, maybe not straight to it.  The food did make a pit stop in the kitchen along the way, but you get my point.

Want to relive that farm fresh past life?  Want to give your family locally-grown fruits and vegetables, without breaking your grocery budget?  Want to be a do-gooder with plenty of bragging rights whilst you hang out around the water cooler?  Then join one of the many Minnesota and Wisconsin CSAs, or Community Supported Agriculture programs.

Community Supported Agriculture is where you, the consumer “buy in”, or becomes an actual member of a local farm.  In return for your monetary support, you’ll receive a share in the harvest – translation; you get a boatload of fruits and veggies.  Most CSA’s also invite you and the kiddies to visit the farm, so your children can see first hand how your food is grown.  They’ll be shocked to learn food comes from the Earth and not from McDonald’s.

How much does all this wholesomeness cost?  A typical full share in your chosen farm runs between $400 and $650 for weekly deliveries of produce from June to October.  For an average share of $525, with 17 weeks of deliveries, your weekly expense is a mere $31 for enough produce to feed a family of four.  And with the peak harvesting months starting right now (Seriously, RIGHT NOW), your share will be overflowing with fresh veggies like carrots, new potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, corn… okay, when’s lunch?

With all the CSA farms available (and there are approximately eleventy million doing this in the Midwest), there will be a program right for your family.  Unless you are the pickiest people on the planet, in which case, go away.

You can choose one that has drop-off locations in the Cities – several offer this feature – and/or one that offer extra shares for dairy products, eggs and poultry, even beef.  Many CSA farms also offer a Thanksgiving or Christmas share, complete with a turkey and winter vegetables.  My BFF HaC’s family bought a full share for around $700 that includes a dozen eggs a week, 10 whole chickens, and a Thanksgiving box.

If the thought of dealing with all those fresh veggies at once seems overwhelming, don’t panic (here’s a towel, and there’s your Hitchhiker’s Guide Through The Galaxy reference for the day).  Most CSA farms offer half-share programs for about half the price.  It’s a great way to try out a CSA and get used to preparing fresh fruits and veggies, before you commit to a full share.

Another thing to remember about CSAs is that the produce is seasonal.  Which means, when tomato season is over, your weekly box won’t have tomatoes in it any more.  Also, at the beginning of the harvest season, your box will be filled with greens (typically harvested in June) and herbs.  In other words, YOU WON’T GET THE VEGGIES UNTIL THEY GROW.  Be patient – come late July, early August, you’ll be swimming in produce.

If you’d like to join a CSA this year, you’re in luck.  There are still programs available – but act quickly, because they do sell out.  To find a CSA, check out the directories available at Local Harvest.org, which is a clearinghouse for CSAs all over the country, and Land Stewardship Program.org for Minnesota CSAs.

Question for the masses – would you buy a CSA?  Have you bought one?  And do you find it to be a thrifty deal?