Our family joined a CSA for the first time this year. CSA stands for Community Sustained Agriculture. We bought a share in a local farm in January. Selling shares allows the farmer some upfront money for seeds, fertilizer and other expenses. In effect, the farmer is selling some of the risk and some of the benefit from his future crop. In exchange for buying a share, starting in May, we will receive a box of fresh picked produce each week for 20 weeks.

Different CSA's have different membership requirements. Some, in addition to buying a share, require a certain number of hours of work on the farm. The required hours of work help keep the price of shares low. I do not do heat in the summer and I am willing to pay a little more to join a CSA with no work requirements. Some allow you to choose between full and half shares. Because half shares cost less, this is a good way to go if you have a small family or are not that into vegetables. A full share is usually enough produce to feed a family of four for a week. Our share works out to about $23 a week. This is a little more than what we currently spend at the grocery store, but the farm that we purchased a share from uses organic farming methods . We would be paying considerably more to buy similar organic produce at the grocery store.

I am looking forward to being part of a CSA because I love to cook. Recently one a family member has begun to eat a diet high in vegetables for health reasons. That means less wheat based baking and fewer meat based meals, and no pasta. It is boring cooking for that family member in particular and for the rest of us in general with what I can get at the store. I am really looking forward to the change of making interesting meals this summer with a box of seasonal, locally grown vegetables. It will be like getting a surprise box each week!

If you would like to know more about, CASs or see if there is a participating farm in your area check out www.localharvest.org