This is the diary of our CSA share this year. The cost of a full share is $545 for 22 weeks (this CSA offers a winter share) which will bring us to the last week in October, and works out to $24.75 per week. Western New York weather is such that June is lightest CSA month. September and October will be more than abundant! Usually I feel I don’t get my money’s worth the first few weeks (which will be predominantly lettuces), but the fall bags more than make up for that.
I was so looking forward to this week’s produce bag! Since we were out of town last week, produce in our refrigerator has been non-existent. I was actually looking forward to salad!
● Broccoli
● Broccolini (two weeks ago I was told this was washed out, so surprised it reappeared!)
● Collards
● Garlic Scapes (to be used as garlic, scallions, or onions)
● Head Lettuce
● Kale
● Kohlrabi
● Mint
● Romaine Lettuce
● Salad Turnips
● Squash
● Swiss Chard
● Various Salad Greens
● Yellow Summer Squash
● Zucchini
This week had a lot of variety, little quantity. We were allowed to choose 2/3 of a shopping bag worth of produce from everything available – excluding salad greens, lettuce and mint. We then were allowed to choose 1/2 bag of a produce plastic bag for greens and mint.
To say this week wasn’t worth the money would be a gross understatement. However, with all the rains it wasn’t unexpected. It rained Thursday during pick-up after a dry week so I asked if they welcomed that particular rain? The answer was still no, and they had hoped for two dry weeks. Mother Nature isn’t being very cooperative to date this season. Let’s hope the weather regulates, and things pick up.
Do you belong to a CSA? If so, what type? How much? Do you find it as worthwhile as I do?
● Past CSA Shares
● Find a CSA
● NYS Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Calendar
● US Agricultural Data
TB says
Hmm, I agree, this week is not really worth it. As for me pretty much everything you show on the photo I already pick from my my garden. On top of that I already harvested some tomatoes, a couple of cucumbers, Japanese eggplants, green beans, and a few carrots. My broccoli was attacked by my some green caterpillars though and I can’t figure out what is wrong with my Broccolini. It goes to flowering right away and it looks very skinny. Overall I don’t think I spent/will spend over $500 on gardening supplies this season. But it could be close to that amount. I follow organic methods and I love picking my lunch/dinner from my garden!!!
Ann says
Organic gardening is expensive, but the taste difference, especially when fresh, is just amazing!
Our broccoli was drowning, and if you look closely you can see the yellow. After I wrote this yesterday, it came down in buckets for hours last night. It was torrential! I expect an even smaller bag next week.
Ann
Stephanie K. says
I got garlic scapes from my garden a couple of weeks ago. I made a pesto with them and it was awesome (well, the kids hated it, but no surprise there!).
Ann says
LOL
Hubby is intrigued. Maybe I can get him to use them in his fabulous chicken salad!
Ann
KimH says
You can also grill them like asparagus…. toss them with a little olive oil and salt & grill for just a few minutes.. very fast.. Yum!!
I just chop them up & put them in anything & everything I might use garlic for..
I’ve been wanting to make some pesto with scapes but havent done so yet.. I bet it is as good as everyone says.. There are loads of recipes out there..
I think if I were going to use them in a chicken salad, I’d give them a quick stir fry toss or steam for a minute or two.. some of the larger ones especially can be quite fibrous..
KimH says
To say this week wasn’t worth the money would be a gross understatement.
My brain is foggy thanks to severe pain today.. so you’re saying this wasnt worth your $24.75? You got 15 items according to your list (not the pic?) so when divided, you’re paying $1.65 for each item… for organic..
Or were there only 6 items according to what I can see? I probably shouldnt be commenting.. 😛
I figured I would be disappointed this year early on because I usually am.. but I have not been.. 2 years ago I got so much bok choy I thought I was gonna puke.. I’ve only gotten 1 bunch so far & still havent used it. 😉
The first year I joined, I was kinda irritated about the shares.. The large share (which I have now) always got the good stuff & the small share got the leftovers I thought.. I was also irritated that we were basically paying retail prices for our shares.. With our large share, now, we’re paying just a little bit less than retail for our produce.. but it tends to even out on some items.. If I went to Whole Foods & bought the same items, I’d be paying probably double what Im paying for my shares.. Haha.. It might be fun to go to Whole Foods and do a weight & price comparison.. Maybe I’ll do that one of these days. 😉
Im behind.. I need to post my Week 3 still.. I pick up Week 4 share tomorrow morning..
Ann says
Nope, I only received what was in the pic. They had all those varieties available, but in such small qualities we were only allowed 2/3 of a small bag regardless what was available (1 of everything would have filled a whole bag+). And, while our CSA practices organic, they didn’t spend the money to get certified. This is “all natural”.
It has been raining since yesterday, and we are talking massive flooding rains. I can’t imagine there will be even this much available next week.
Ann
KimH says
Oh, I see.. yeah.. there are definitely times I’ve been less than pleased with my share.. but not this year.. So far, I’ve gotten 10 different items with each of my bags and most of the time there are more than one of each item… I think Im paying $34 or something close to that so I divide it and I know I’ll pay more than $3 for certified organic that same thing at Whole Foods… I know its local and fresher.. When I get disappointed, I make myself remember that.
I dont blame your CSA for not getting the certification.. It wouldnt make any difference to me, to be honest.. One of the bad things about the certification is that they HAVE to use certain products that have been given an ok from the certification board.. If they wanted to use say DE and it wasnt on the list.. they couldnt use it even though its a natural and nontoxic item.
KimH says
Just picked up my share today and got 2 large heads, different varieties, of red leaf lettuces, 3 kohlrabi with greens, 3 beets with greens, kale, scallions, quart of strawberries, 2 small heads of broccoli, radishes, a 14oz slicing tomato & a huge head (2.5#) cauliflower..
Planning on using it all up this week.. Crossing my fingers..
Ann says
Sounds like you got a great bag! Meanwhile, we had severe flooding yesterday, and the town directly north of us had a travel ban in effect because the roads were impassible. I have a feeling next week’s CSA share is gonna be a few onions.
Ann
KimH says
Ohh noo… that is terrible.. The weather this year has been so wild.. I hope it dries up for you guys.. Ha.. I hope my own garden dries up soon.. I still havent got all I want planted in there.. Its a terrible thing!
Here is a link to my blog where Im sharing my CSA shares weekly… I added a photo of today’s bag.
acrossmypathtoday.blogspot.com/