1) You Don't Know What You're Going To Get
Unlike shopping at the store or farmers' market, you don't get to choose what comes in your CSA delivery. You usually get plenty of food, all fresh, local and seasonal, but you don't know whether it will include zucchini or corn or kale or tomatoes, all of the above, or none of the above. Each delivery is a fresh adventure!
2) But You Have A Rough Idea
As you get a feel for the seasonality of your area and our farm, you'll have a general idea of what to expect. The April weather had lots of ups and down but much is growing into maturity. You can fully expect zucchini to show up at some point in June, and maybe also in July and September. Ditto for tomatoes. We know we'll be getting berries at some point in June and July, but as July turns to August & September, you can expect to get potatoes and melons.
3) The Food May Be Perfectly Imperfect
Sometimes you may get some things that are oddly shaped, or just not "supermarket perfect" in some way.
4) You Usually Get A Lot
Usually, each delivery is almost more than you can eat. Almost. You will have to be very intentional about including the produce in every meal in order to use it up. And of course, that's the whole point.
5) But Not Always
Sometimes, especially at the beginning of the season, a delivery may feel a little skimpy. Remember, the farm is not a factory, producing a predictable quantity of food each week - at least, it shouldn't be. Real, natural farms, especially small ones like ours, are subject to the whims of weather, bugs, critters, markets, aging equipment and much more. In a CSA, you're partnering with a farmer for a season, not just buying a single bag of produce. And some seasons are just naturally more bountiful than others.
6) There's some dirt
You may not realize it, but the produce in a grocery store is rinsed off multiple times before it gets to us. Every time the misting system goes off, or the store employee sprays water on the veggies, they're washing away the dirt. (And also maybe some nutrients, by the way.) Not only is this totally unnecessary, it's actually counter-productive if your goal is to keep things fresh longer.
7) And maybe some friendly Bugs
Our CSA farm uses organic and Integrated Pest Management farming practices (no chemicals to manage pest in the garden) therefore it's likely you'll see a few bugs . Many bugs are actually beneficial (think ladybugs), our goal certainly isn't to remove all the bugs, because some are so small and clever at hiding. If bugs bother you, you could leave your bag outside as you bring the veggies in (the bugs are often in the bottom of your bag).
8) You Might Still Need to Shop a Little
Sometimes you may receive spring onions, sometimes leeks, sometimes yellow onions - but sometimes no onions. About twice during the season you may get garlic. In our kitchen (and I'm guessing maybe yours), these items are staples. So when you don't get them in your CSA, I you may have to run out to the farmers' market or store.
9) You Might Need To Volunteer
Many CSAs are run on volunteer labor. Some have a core group or committee that handles most or all of the work; in some, the work is shared by all the members. In most, the volunteer work involves helping with sorting and other logistics at the delivery site, not at the farm. However, Farming requires a certain toughness and work ethic that volunteers often aren't familier with, as well as the skill that comes from long, sweaty experience. So if you decide to volunteer with us your experience might be more like - standing in the warm sun, greeting fellow CSA members at pickup, flattening and moving boxes, keeping veggies in the shade or harvesting at the farm.
10) Embrace The Adventure
Your CSA delivery day is not just delivery day - it's DELIVERY DAY!!! Put the entire season of deliveries in your calendar at the start, and embrace the event-like nature of the delivery. Approach your CSA package like you're opening a gift: Surprise! Look what I got!
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