If you want this...
You gotta get yourself a share!
If you want fresh, organic (or nearly organic) produce for the entire growing season (around here it is June through November) and you can't (or don't want to) grow your own produce, it's not too late to join a CSA this year! CSA= Community Supported Agriculture. For more information on CSAs, check out my overview of CSAs including programs in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area here. All of those have convenient delivery sites (as in you don't have to drive to the actual farm to pick up the box, the farm delivers the boxes to a pick-up location). If you are able to drive to the farm itself, though, there are more options--farms that offer a CSA program with pick-up at the farm itself. (Farms that offer a delivered shares program often also offer on-farm pick up).
Farm Additions Since Some Good News:
1. Several local NJ farms with CSA programs are chronicled here.
This is a really nice article on several additional local CSAs came out last month in South Jersey Magazine, check it out! It describes more NJ farms that offer CSAs (including Honey Brook) many with on-farm pick up, and provides some interesting background on the CSA program in general. One farm not mentioned is Fern Brook Farm, and though they do not have any delivered boxes, they do have on-farm pick-up in Chesterfield, NJ (same town as Honey Brook!) but it looks like they are sold out for this season (2013).
2. Wimer's Organics Farm
This is an organic, Lancaster, PA based, cooperative farm that has delivered, boxed shares in many locations in the Pennsylvania 'burbs and Philly proper. It offers biweekly shares (this is a great thing, trust me!), egg and yogurt shares (if you are interested in that) and "summer" and "fall" shares to split the growing season as this would be the whole season for other CSAs. The "summer" season is 18 weeks, and the "fall" season is 12 weeks. The whole growing season is 30 weeks if you roll like that.
2. Wimer's Organics Farm
This is an organic, Lancaster, PA based, cooperative farm that has delivered, boxed shares in many locations in the Pennsylvania 'burbs and Philly proper. It offers biweekly shares (this is a great thing, trust me!), egg and yogurt shares (if you are interested in that) and "summer" and "fall" shares to split the growing season as this would be the whole season for other CSAs. The "summer" season is 18 weeks, and the "fall" season is 12 weeks. The whole growing season is 30 weeks if you roll like that.
If you are in NJ, Honey Brook Organic Farm (the CSA I belong to) still has some shares left (delivered boxed shares) and I'm sure some of the other farms still have shares as well. They have a large range of delivery sites, so you may be surprised to find a convenient location near you!
Squirrels eat all my tomatoes, beans, and other good stuff, so I NEED that CSA!!
For gorgeous pictures of what you get in a typical CSA box at Honey Brook Farm at the height of the season, check out this post: September's Bounty (2012).
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The precious CSA pumpkin!
Anyway, stay tuned to Vegan Fazool for CSA action starting again in a few weeks...it's almost here!
Here are some highlights from the 2012 season:
Yum!
Oh, and this pie, we LOVE this pie:
Green Leek Pie from June, 2012
Jeweled Jars of CSA Marinara from October, 2012
The Fresh Garlic alone is worth the CSA! And Garlic Scapes!
And the TOMATOES!!
Oh my word!
And positively giant scallions from weeks #3 and 4 of 2012!
YUM. I LOVE SCALLIONS.
The peak of the season looks something like this:
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Lordy! This box is from October, 2012.
Oh, and don't forget THE BEST potatoes in the world come from your CSA:
Oh. My. These are the only things worth putting my oven on for in August!
Get ready, folks! The growing season is upon us.
Wow. You've just made me miss my Wisconsin CSA so much. We're gone so much in the summer that joining a CSA here didn't seem to fit into our lives anymore, but in the old days I sure loved getting our CSA box.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to travel, too! Have fun!
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