Discussion Board

Today is the first CSA box of the season. I'll pick it up after work today. Want to see what I'm getting?
http://vermontvalleyfarm.wordpress.com/ ... s-harvest/

Sounds like good eating:) How great is that?

Aloha, patty

Yea! I love my CSA. I have a garden spot, too, but there is something about getting a box of fresh stuff every week that is just wonderful. I often get things I would not have purchased for myself and it has been fun to learn to love new things.

I realized that I loved my CSA a lot when my BF started referring to my CSA farm as my "dealer" : )

Enjoy!

Sharon

That sounds great! I want to join one around here. Only problem is, they want you to volunteer some time and I don't have any time to give.

How many people can you feed with your csa share?

Well, I'm just feeding myself, so I doubt that it will last for the whole week. When I orderded the Spring Greenhouse Share that is starting this week, the woman warned me that some people found it hard to keep up with "all those greens", but I'm guessing that most people aren't trying to eat a pound of raw greens a day. I say "Greens? Bring 'em on!!"

The blurb from the farm says:
Spring Greenhouse Share:
(April 26 to May 17)
Four consecutive weeks of gourmet delicacies: salad mix, sauté mix, spinach, radishes, lettuce heads, pac choi, fennel, arugula, salad turnips, tatsoi, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, sorrel, chives, ramps, scallions, watercress and rhubarb. Each delivery includes eight to ten items. For the household that enjoys an abundance of greens or the Spring Share can be split between two households. $195

and

Standard Vegetable Share:
(June 7 to October 18)
The Standard Share is a weekly box of fresh vegetables (about a grocery bag full). Easily consumed by a household that eats and cooks fresh vegetables, although each family’s vegetable consumption varies. $580

This is my first experience with CSA membership, so I'm planning on keeping records of what I receive, what I do with it, and how much of my total vegetable requirements get met. I'll need to make a decision about whether or not to do this again next year.

Alright! I just signed up! I volunteered at vegfest a couple years ago and worked at the CSA stand but i dont know why i never signed up! Yay! I'm so excited! I wish I got it today! lol

From the link: "Simple use: Chop radishes and sauté in oil or butter; chop greens and add to the sauté after several minutes; add a splash of tamari."

Still... CSA's are great. Cool knowing where your food is coming from and how it is raised... and interacting on a local level is always a good thing. Though we produce over 90% of our food, we are fortunate to live in an area with a cornucopia of CSA's, food co ops, and food banks. Even local schools have instituted gardens as part of the curriculum. Working on getting them to eat less meat and dairy and cook sans added oils and fats is the next hurdle...

Knut,
It goes without saying that I will NOT be using oil or butter on my precious greens. I'll be eating the majority of them raw, anyway. But I'm sure the majority of the CSA's customers are not even vegan, let alone low-fat vegan.

Congratulations, Gweithgar. We're swimming in purple cauliflower from ours:
http://mariquita.com/CSAinfo/thisweekslist2012.html


I'm finding I like Kohlrabi better and better, although the leaves are bitter. Also turnips are becoming a favorite for me. I would never have found that out without the CSA. This is our fourth weekly share this season, and we're doing better at eating our way though the greens each week.

Enjoy it! While I was at Colby I learned to love the first onset of spring, so I'm sure the first CSA share in Vermont must feel like a breath of fresh air following the winter blanket of snow.

Mark

HI,
The farm is called "Vermont Valley" and it is in Vermont Township, but it is in the state of Wisconsin, not Vermont. We've got a town called Oregon over here, too. Gets a bit confusing.

Doh!

And you even have it in your sig.

Oh well, it probably never hurts to get a lot of practice in making a fool of myself. I imagine it's a skill that will come in handy as much in the future as it has in the past.

Anyway, hope you still get the same kind of pleasure from the share that you would if you were emerging from a blanket of snow for the last 6 months.

Mark

Goodness, don't be embarrassed! I sure didn't mean it that way at all. Whenever anyone around here tells me they live in Oregon, my mind goes straight to the West Coast, even though I know that's not what they meant.

Yes, love it when Spring arrives. We've had a really strange winter this year and spring seemed to start sometime in February. Lots of things leafed out and then got frozen when the temps went back to near normal. Not a good year for orchards or vinyards around here. I don't expect there will be much in the way of wild fruit for the picking, either.

Always liked your board name, BTW. Love "Watership Down". Have your read Adam's "The Plague Dogs"?

Nice!

I have just discovered both a co-op and a CSA both near me and am exploring them now. I can't wait to be able to participate in one or the other!

Jealous! Can't wait for my first CSA box!!!! Will be a nice way to get my green/yellow veggies in this summer and potatoes/squash in the fall.

Gweithgar - I'd love to see a picture of what was in your CSA box, if you don't mind sharing!