Comments on: DIY CSA http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/ A blog about frugal living Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:14:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kim http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2764 Kim Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:06:05 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2764 I hear what you're saying about the farm, and understand your complaints. I really missed my favorite arugula this year. But it just wasn't meant to be, and it wasn't the farmer's faults (blame mother nature, the great giver and taker-away when it comes to farming). A key aspect of CSAs is that you share both the risk and reward of farming WITH the farmers. They get a fair wage (still WAY too low compared to the importance of their jobs) and you get a steady supply (7 months worth!) of farm-fresh produce -- which for this CSA, is organic. Some years are good, and some are not. This year wasn't a good year because of all the rain and the high-clay content of the soils. The farmers planted the crops you wanted -- lettuces, tomatoes, onions, potatoes (and much, much more). Those particular crops just didn't all do well this year because of the weather. They wouldn't have done well in your local at-home garden either. AND your local at-home garden would have had a much harder time keeping organic with all the bugs/pests to worry about. These farmers have incredibly difficult jobs, as do all farmers. If you're a real supporter of CSAs, you'll stick around to support them rather than bailing after one bad season. Or maybe you'll be back after you see how time-intesive, labor-intensive, and HARD the work is. Or maybe not ... but either way, be respectful for how hard this work is, and recognize that all farms and farmers go through the occasional bad season. I hear what you’re saying about the farm, and understand your complaints. I really missed my favorite arugula this year. But it just wasn’t meant to be, and it wasn’t the farmer’s faults (blame mother nature, the great giver and taker-away when it comes to farming).

A key aspect of CSAs is that you share both the risk and reward of farming WITH the farmers. They get a fair wage (still WAY too low compared to the importance of their jobs) and you get a steady supply (7 months worth!) of farm-fresh produce — which for this CSA, is organic.

Some years are good, and some are not. This year wasn’t a good year because of all the rain and the high-clay content of the soils. The farmers planted the crops you wanted — lettuces, tomatoes, onions, potatoes (and much, much more). Those particular crops just didn’t all do well this year because of the weather. They wouldn’t have done well in your local at-home garden either. AND your local at-home garden would have had a much harder time keeping organic with all the bugs/pests to worry about.

These farmers have incredibly difficult jobs, as do all farmers. If you’re a real supporter of CSAs, you’ll stick around to support them rather than bailing after one bad season.

Or maybe you’ll be back after you see how time-intesive, labor-intensive, and HARD the work is. Or maybe not … but either way, be respectful for how hard this work is, and recognize that all farms and farmers go through the occasional bad season.

]]> By: Meryl Lubchansky http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2768 Meryl Lubchansky Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:50:59 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2768 Hooray for Jim! A DIY CSA is fine, but ARF should be your inspiration, not your motivating disappointment. Using fresh, locally grown vegetables also means learning to eat and cook seasonally, and storing that bounty for the months without fresh local produce. Most importantly, perhaps, you should have considered a half share membership where you got a full amount of vegetables every other week rather than the splitting of a whole share. You might have felt more satisfied with the quantity. So you really only paid $400 for the full season...for organic produce. Despite the east coast wide tomato blight, rain, mud and less then optimal sunshine we did get lots of the vegetables that thrived despite these conditions, such as a large variety of greens and peppers, sweet and hot, green and yellow string beans, lots of red, white, and blue potatoes as well as sweet potatoes, great tasting organic celery, carrots, herbs and more. Please take a look at this blog for some inspiration from a CSK-a Community Supported Kitchen! http://foodnanny.blogspot.com Enjoy your journey...Meryl Hooray for Jim! A DIY CSA is fine, but ARF should be your inspiration, not your motivating disappointment. Using fresh, locally grown vegetables also means learning to eat and cook seasonally, and storing that bounty for the months without fresh local produce. Most importantly, perhaps, you should have considered a half share membership where you got a full amount of vegetables every other week rather than the splitting of a whole share. You might have felt more satisfied with the quantity. So you really only paid $400 for the full season…for organic produce. Despite the east coast wide tomato blight, rain, mud and less then optimal sunshine we did get lots of the vegetables that thrived despite these conditions, such as a large variety of greens and peppers, sweet and hot, green and yellow string beans, lots of red, white, and blue potatoes as well as sweet potatoes, great tasting organic celery, carrots, herbs and more. Please take a look at this blog for some inspiration from a CSK-a Community Supported Kitchen! http://foodnanny.blogspot.com
Enjoy your journey…Meryl

]]> By: Jim Schmitt http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2767 Jim Schmitt Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:20:36 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2767 I applaud ALL efforts to grow local! Farming is a learning process that continues for a lifetime. I planted my first 'garden' about 78 years ago and have not stopped except for a few years in transit, military, apartment living, etc. I still have a small plot and will start my seedlings in February after digging up a few forced Hyacinths, etc. beginning after Christmas. And I'm still learning by mistakes that fortunately are not fatal.... CSA's will continue to prosper because they offer a unique opportunity for many folks to get into growing things on a large scale, with professional help right behind them. Good Luck to you! I applaud ALL efforts to grow local!

Farming is a learning process that continues for a lifetime. I planted my first ‘garden’ about 78 years ago and have not stopped except for a few years in transit, military, apartment living, etc. I still have a small plot and will start my seedlings in February after digging up a few forced Hyacinths, etc. beginning after Christmas. And I’m still learning by mistakes that fortunately are not fatal….

CSA’s will continue to prosper because they offer a unique opportunity for many folks to get into growing things on a large scale, with professional help right behind them.

Good Luck to you!

]]> By: leahingram http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2766 leahingram Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:52:29 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2766 Fair enough, Jim. It was a rough year. I'll give you that. But in the meantime we are going to start our own farm/garden on a small scale for the next growing season and save ourselves some money in the process. Maybe I'll be crying "mea culpa" this time next year but we are going to try to walk the walk and see what happens. Thanks for posting a comment. Fair enough, Jim. It was a rough year. I’ll give you that. But in the meantime we are going to start our own farm/garden on a small scale for the next growing season and save ourselves some money in the process. Maybe I’ll be crying “mea culpa” this time next year but we are going to try to walk the walk and see what happens.

Thanks for posting a comment.

]]> By: Jim Schmitt http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2765 Jim Schmitt Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:39:29 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2765 I seem to recognize Anchor Run Farm in this exchange. They have just gone thru a tremendous set of bad circumstances! I work at a nearby farm market that has been a family outlet for generations! This year - strawberries rained out, early plants demolished by a May 17 freeze, tomatoes (really a TROPical fruit!) treated to less sunshine than I have seen in thirty years on the east coast, EVERYthing late, and already hit by a weeks-early frost! Meanwhile our Anchor Run farmers were in their first real year, had tons of mud to work in, week after week, worked their hearts out in the worst farming season I can remember. Cut them some slack! CSA's are a gamble. This year we didn't break even. For farming, its always next year! Be fair, folks. You would-be farmers are just talking - not walking the walk! I seem to recognize Anchor Run Farm in this exchange. They have just gone thru a tremendous set of bad circumstances! I work at a nearby farm market that has been a family outlet for generations! This year – strawberries rained out, early plants demolished by a May 17 freeze, tomatoes (really a TROPical fruit!) treated to less sunshine than I have seen in thirty years on the east coast, EVERYthing late, and already hit by a weeks-early frost! Meanwhile our Anchor Run farmers were in their first real year, had tons of mud to work in, week after week, worked their hearts out in the worst farming season I can remember. Cut them some slack! CSA’s are a gamble. This year we didn’t break even. For farming, its always next year! Be fair, folks. You would-be farmers are just talking – not walking the walk!

]]> By: dee dee http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2763 dee dee Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:23:11 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2763 Starting a garden from scratch is going to be a lot of work, but I think we can handle it...deciding what to grow will be one of the hardest tasks. I can almost guarantee that we won't plant okra, edamame or brusselles sprouts (Kim hates them). But I'm pushing for arugula, lots of lettuces, squashes and tomatoes. the rest is up for grabs. And Michele's chickens will have a field day with our leftovers and trimmings! Starting a garden from scratch is going to be a lot of work, but I think we can handle it…deciding what to grow will be one of the hardest tasks. I can almost guarantee that we won’t plant okra, edamame or brusselles sprouts (Kim hates them). But I’m pushing for arugula, lots of lettuces, squashes and tomatoes. the rest is up for grabs. And Michele’s chickens will have a field day with our leftovers and trimmings!

]]> By: Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2762 Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:40:31 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2762 My BIL did this for a while on some extra land at my MIL's house. His little biz even delivered the veggies to people (at work or at home). It lasted a few years, and I'm not exactly sure why they gave it up. I suspect it was just too much work since they did not require people to help out. The irrigation issues were no picnic either. Cool idea, though. Suddenly Farmers ... made me laugh. My BIL did this for a while on some extra land at my MIL’s house. His little biz even delivered the veggies to people (at work or at home). It lasted a few years, and I’m not exactly sure why they gave it up. I suspect it was just too much work since they did not require people to help out. The irrigation issues were no picnic either.

Cool idea, though. Suddenly Farmers … made me laugh.

]]> By: leahingram http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2761 leahingram Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:57:12 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2761 Actually, the person who's home where we're going to plant the farm does have chickens! I'll have to mention this to her. Leah Actually, the person who’s home where we’re going to plant the farm does have chickens! I’ll have to mention this to her.

Leah

]]> By: e222 http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2760 e222 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:53:33 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2760 Hi Leah, now I'll get to follow you for a whole new reason - we're about to move to the East Coast and become backyard farmers ourselves. We're already gardeners - tomatoes, green beans, onions, lettuce, blackberries, peppers - but we're moving to a very large lot and hope to really ramp up the production. So your families and my family are both joining the "Urban Farm" movement [even if we aren't in the center of the city, we're not on 400 acres in Kansas either...] Your group undoubtedly has come across all the materials on the Web for Urban Farmers. Are you to the point yet of deciding whether to keep a few chickens? Chickens, but not roosters, are legal in most cities, and there's no faster way to turn kitchen scraps into farm fertilizer. Good luck to all of us! Hi Leah, now I’ll get to follow you for a whole new reason – we’re about to move to the East Coast and become backyard farmers ourselves. We’re already gardeners – tomatoes, green beans, onions, lettuce, blackberries, peppers – but we’re moving to a very large lot and hope to really ramp up the production. So your families and my family are both joining the “Urban Farm” movement [even if we aren't in the center of the city, we're not on 400 acres in Kansas either...] Your group undoubtedly has come across all the materials on the Web for Urban Farmers. Are you to the point yet of deciding whether to keep a few chickens? Chickens, but not roosters, are legal in most cities, and there’s no faster way to turn kitchen scraps into farm fertilizer.
Good luck to all of us!

]]> By: ashley http://www.suddenlyfrugal.com/2009/10/diy-csa/comment-page-1/#comment-2755 ashley Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:38:18 +0000 http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/?p=2059#comment-2755 Those are some expensive scallions!!!!! Those are some expensive scallions!!!!!

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