How does Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) work?

Marc Carullo: A shareholder, member, or subscriber to a CSA farm enters into a partnership with a farmer where s/he makes a commitment to purchase a share of the season’s harvest, thereby covering a portion of the annual cost of operating the farm.

My personal experience with my CSA farm, Bay End Farm in Bourne, has been awesome. They provide a big ole bag of fresh, certified-organic veggies, herbs, and fresh cut flowers to members every week from mid-June to the end of October. Pickup is always fun as one gets to chat with the farmers, whether sharing veggie preparation and storage tips or grander life experiences. Let’s not forget the weekly newsletter with suggested recipes and humor to boot.

Do you find that the foods you receive dictate what you cook that week/month?

MC: Yes, and this adds to the experience! My girlfriend and I receive a full share (advertised as enough veggies for a family of four) once a week. The variety of veggies changes as the growing season progresses. Our bag o' veggies is certainly heavy with a variety of leafy greens early in the season and autumn veggies (e.g. squashes) later in the season. Fortunately, many varieties of the leafy greens persist throughout the season. We have become increasingly resourceful in preserving vegetables, as we sometimes have difficulty keeping up with the weekly bounty.

Any food you get that you prefer just stayed on the farm and off your plate?

MC: No way, but I'm not all that picky! I love trying new foods and new preparations for foods that are familiar to me. A couple of CSA firsts for me were kohlrabi slaw and yummy garlic scape pesto. I've heard members of other CSAs speak of tiring from too much repetition. Though I love kale, I couldn't eat it everyday for months.

Photo: Kelly Adams