Community-supported agriculture (CSA) signup time is now

January 24, 9:42 PMBoston Vegan ExaminerRyan Weaver

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  Bolleto beans at Parker Farm in Lunenberg, MA

Many of my colleagues here at Examiner.com have been reminding their readers that it's that time of year: CSA signup time. Many locovore-oriented readers are already familiar with the concept of community-supported agriculture, but if you need a primer, feel free to peruse this piece I wrote for the Weekly Dig last year on the basics.

Because I'm out and about too often to use the high volume deliveries a CSA offered, and too strapped for cash to spend the amount of capital ($400-600) required to buy into a CSA, I'm not a CSA member myself. (I've been an on and off customer of Boston Organics for years instead, an in-between solution championed by Boston's Family Foodie Examiner, Leah Klein. You can read more about that here.)

However, my fellow Examiners are fans, so I'll simply highlight some of the useful tidbits they've provided below.

Writes Leah Bloom, Boston's Sustainable Food Examiner:

The idea of a farm share...is relatively modern.  In fact, the first American CSA, Indian Line Farm, opened for business right here in Massachusetts in 1985. Jan Vandertuin, a pioneer of the biodynamic agriculture movement in Europe, brought the idea of co-op farming to the U.S., where he shared it with MA farmer Robyn Van En.  Together with a group of interested citizens, they founded Indian Line, and within four years, their CSA had over 150 members.  It is still in business today, along with more than 1,500 other CSA farms across the U.S. and Canada.

In order to plan their planting strategies and buy the right amount of seeds, farmers typically start selling shares in early winter.  So if you’re interested in filling your spring, summer, and fall with sustainably raised herbs, vegetables, and flowers, now is the time to start looking into membership in a CSA. 

Bloom's a fan of Busa Farm in Lexington, MA, where members can pick their own produce for half-price and instead of a pre-packed box share, you choose exactly what to buy and pay for it with “Busa Bucks.” However, she's also heard good things about Brookfield Farm, Belmont Farm, and Drumlin Farm. 

Writes Shannon Arnold, Boston's Vegetarian Examiner:

"For me, the best part of the CSA last year was the mystery. I didn’t know until Tuesday morning what veggies I would be picking up that evening (our farmer sent out a weekly email listing the week’s loot – others may do it differently). Upon getting that email, I would drop whatever I was working on and start searching my favorite websites for veggie recipes and put together a plan for the week. Using all the veggies and finding new recipes was a challenge I loved."

Arnold also gives a shout-out to Steve Parker, a name with which many of my food-loving friends are familiar. His quirky personality and high-quality produce have made him a favorite around Boston.

And finally, Jacqueline Church, Boston's Food Examiner, recently reported that Boston Localvores, a favorite blog of ours, has dug up a winter CSA program that provides New Englanders with fresh fruit grown on the East Coast, "below the Mason-Dixon line" (versus California or Mexico). The sign-up's a bit complicated, but they explain it thoroughly in this blog post -- and they're even offering to help pair you up with a CSA buddy should the share be too much for you or your household.

Happy local eating!