This is the diary of our 2014 CSA share. The cost of our 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.
We also purchased a Fruit Share this year for $180, lasting 18 weeks which works out to $10 per week. The local fruit included in the fruit share starts with cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and moves into pears, raspberries and of course apples! This portion of the share begins in July.
The last two weeks the CSA has been fabulous! Hubby used up a lot of vegetables this past week on African Chicken Peanut Stew, a Beef Vegetable Soup, and I used the apricots on Apricot Scones (recipe Monday… these are delicious and you can substitute peaches or nectarines for the apricots).
I decided not to head to the u-pick this week because it rained for 3 days earlier this week. I wasn’t looking forward to a mud bath.
Hubby said we are completely out of frozen tomatoes. That is my mission between my plants outside (the earth box ones look sad, sad, sad), the CSA, and any drive-for-produce we do. I’ll keep an eye out for extras for sale at the CSA.
The fruit share was fantastic again this week: a quart of peaches and 5 pounds of Apricots or Plums. Since we never ate the plums from last week, and I used up all the apricots, I took… 5 pounds of apricots! Definitely worth the price of the fruit CSA.
2014 CSA Share Week 9
● Apricots*
● Beets
● Cantaloupe*
● Chard
● Cucumbers
● Eggplant
● Flowers
● Green Beans
● Lettuce*
● Kohlrabi
● Onions*
● Patty Pan Squash
● Plums
● Scallions*
● Tomatoes*
● Zucchini*
* took for share
All-in-all another very good CSA week!
Do you belong to a CSA? If so, what type? How much? Do you find it as worthwhile as I do?
● For more CSA posts on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.
● Mind Your Peas and Cukes pinterest board: All things CSA, Produce, Farmstead Fresh – community supported agriculture, farmstand fresh produce, organic produce, more from all over the United States.
● CSA posts
● Find a CSA
● Porter Farms CSA (we belonged for years)
● Root Down Farm CSA (our 2013 and 2014 CSA)
● NYS Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Calendar
● US Agricultural Data
Shell says
Why do the earth box tomatoes look so bad? Was the earth box not a good idea?
Ann says
I have some theories, Shell. I thought blight — they were rotting on the vines, there were some cracks which would mean uneven watering – supposedly not possible and the whole reason behind the earth box, yellowing, and a few other weird things. The ones that are ground planted are *knock on wood* looking great though (ruling out blight) – and that is even with the over abundance of rain we had this week, so VERY uneven watering.
On the other hand, the earth box peppers are going gangbusters!! The ones in the ground are so far behind it isn’t even funny. If all goes well, I should end up with about 50 peppers off the earth box pepper plants. If all goes well, two off the ground planted pepper plants (man those look sad).
Ann
Barbee says
Sent you an E-Mail. It involves both peaches and ‘butt’ jokes.
I know that if you post it, you will be discreet. LOL
(Let me know if you don’t get it.)
On the tomatoes and earth boxes.
My research on vegetables includes the common root structure of various species.
Tomatoes tend to have complex and DEEP roots. It’s genetic, and only a few tomato types have been bred for containers.
When you put tomatoes (or any plant) in a container environment you must take the extra step to make sure you have chosen the correct variety. Some are better suited than others, some are actually BRED for containers.
Don’t surrender, an experiment is just that-something we try, observe and learn from.
The ‘learn’ part is crucial. 🙂
Have a great weekend.
Ann says
Oh, I got it, Barbee. I should post that to my Peechy Keen pinterest board. 😛
I would not doubt that the heirloom variety I chose is the problem, Barbee. It would totally make sense considering how well they are doing in the ground, and how lousy they are growing in a box designed for tomato growth. I still think there is a higher and better use for these boxes than tomatoes, but maybe I will go on the earth box forum and see what type people have planted with better success.
Ann
KimH says
I wasnt thrilled with last weeks CSA share but this weeks was pretty good.. quite heavy too… We even got a watermelon with them… not a giant but not a single serving either..
We got a giant kohlrabi and Im always shocked that they arent pithy.. I dont know what variety they’re growing but they can get to almost the size of a bowling ball and still be good.. wild! The one I got today was a little bigger than a softball.. crazy.
Ann says
That is crazy, Kim! What do you make with your kohlrabi?
I am thinking about checking out the Porter Farms blog. I seem to recall they wrote what type of seeds they used. While not exactly where we live, they are about 45 minutes away, so that should be close enough for me to find better varieties to plant next year.
Ann