Veggie CSA

(Becky)

Today I sent off the deposit for my very first veggie CSA. I've been familar with the csa concept for quite some time, and every year it was one of those, I should really do this thoughts that never came to be. Before I knew it spring was here and CSA memberships had been filled. This year, I was searching online for CT CSA's and there's not too many of them around this area, and the couple that there are - they were filled. I did find one however and had a lovely conversation with one of the girls that runs it last night and today I sent out my check for the reservation! Once I get the confirmation I'll make sure to share the info!

I'm really excited about this! I like how you buy into the farm at the beginning of the season and you take the risk along with the farm themselves. One of the hardest parts of farming is never knowing if mother nature will ruin your plans of perfectly laid fields and bountiful harvest. Once your fields are gone, you're done....so many bankrupticies happen because of just one bad season. Especially when you're competing with national chains that are trucking in produce from out of the country for pennies. It's a hard life. With the CSA concept, you pay for your share in full at the start of the season - no refunds. Sure, it's a risk - last year CT got hit really hard by tomato blight and it was hard to find tomatos at the farmers market and farmstands. If it's a heavy rain season you're going to have vegetables that rot from too much moisture, too dry of a season you're going to have wilt. Anyone that has ever grown so much as a container garden knows how fickle the summer can be in New England. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I'm ok with the risk with this - I'm ok with giving my hard earned money to someone that's investing everything they have into what I'm putting on my table. If my investment helps them keep their family farm going for another year, I'm happy with that. I hope for a great summer of plenty, but if I end up with little because the weather doesn't work in my favor, I can live with that too.

This CSA share season, I'll be getting a full veggie share and splitting it with Aimee. I look forward to getting vegetables that I normally wouldn't pick up for myself and figuring out how to cook them. I like to think I'm an adventerous eater, but if I don't know how to cook it I'm not buying it. If I don't know what it tastes like, not buying it. Guess I'm not that adventerous after all! Not having a choice over what's in the CSA basket is going to be wonderful - hopefully I'll find some new things that I like, and new and exciting things to do with the old standby's. So exciting!