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Cool idea...(long...but worth it!)
Just had a big meeting at work and I learned about something new (to me)...this crop sharing thing that you can do with local farmers. You can pre-purchase a "share" from a local farmer, which is to provide veggies and fruits for a family of 4. Then the farmer delivers those shares to a drop-site, like a participating agency or a farmers market, and you pick it up once a week for the entire growing season...early spring to late fall.
I guess UT does this for its employees...Farmers market does it, not sure who else. Our agency in Sylvania is planning on becoming a drop-site for next season.
The food you get is dependant on whats in season, so one week you may get a lot of tomatoes, another time a ton of lettuce. That could be difficult for some people, but if you know (learn) what to do with it and/or how to can/preserve things...this is an awesome way to get locally grown super fresh produce...knowing who the actual farmer is. (Apparently a few times a year, the farmers will invite their crop-sharers to come out and tour the farm itself.)
The cost is for veggies only: $680.00/year, and for the fruit also option an additional $380.00/year. So approximately just over $1000.00 to have your fruits and veggies delivered every week for almost the whole year. On average, thats less than $100.00 per month.
I already spend way more than that on produce as it is. So although I may still have to supplement here and there with what the farmer didn't offer...I'm totally going to do this for 2011!
Anyone heard of this or have any experience with it?
Re: Cool idea...(long...but worth it!)
It is super cool!! I've been wanting to do it for a while, but haven't actually done it. I've usually heard it referred to as CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
I *think* LT and Sara both did it this year! They may have some good insight!
A great way to find local groups is through http://www.localharvest.org/ There are actually quite a few of these programs/farms around, with all different prices, options and crops.
CSA!! That's it!!
I'd love to hear their feedback on it...I love to cook and we usually have the "Mystery fruit/veggie of the month" so I'm used to figuring out what to do with new/unsual produce. My kids aren't always so fond of it...but they're at least great and trying new stuff and sometimes we're pleasantly surprised.
Yep Sara and I did it over the summer. We found a farm using local harvest. Ours only ran from July thru Labor Day.
It was awesome. We went to the farm to pick it up. I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't use was the kale cause I wasn't sure exactly how to use it but apparently it's amazing.
I;m going to try and PIP
DH and I got a half share (so did Sara) and it was more then enough for us. We always got a basket like above, with veggies that were ready, herbs, a bag of salad mix and usually a melon or two. A few weeks we also got 3-6 ears of corn. (sometimes more sometimes less it just depended on her harvest that week). I had the best cantelope and watermelon ever! She also gave us huge bags of tomatoes.
(I froze the corn so I can't WAIT to eat it in January! It's gonna be SO good)
The girl we got ours from only sells so many shares, shes in high school and it's her 4H project. I hope she does it next year too. (hence the short CSA "season".
If you are really interested I would get on a mailing list or contact a farmer now. CSA's fill up REALLY quick in the area. I know Sara and I got some of her last spots last year and then she had an article in the NYTimes so I bet she gets a lot of calls this coming season...(hopefully she'll call us first!). I've heard that the Berky farm (whose name escapes me) is also a really good CSA. Ours was in MI.