2014 CSA Share Week 20

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.

We received the CSA sign up form for next year this week. Hubby and I are going to have to do some research this weekend on local CSAs to determine whether or not we are resigning. I haven’t exactly been thrilled with this year – they added a TON of people and the parking lot is a madhouse every Thursday when the kids aren’t in school. The u-pick is a great perk too, but it means the too-small parking lot has people parked for an hour which picking instead of the 10-15 minutes while doing a pick-up, making a bad parking situation even worse. The pick-up time this year didn’t begin until 3pm, and that was one of the issues. Next year I noticed it starts at 2pm and that should help with the congestion issue.

That is minor compared to the cost and quality of the produce. I really don’t have any complaints about the quality – is is “all natural” (basically organic but they aren’t paying to get certified) and so you lose some stuff fast if you don’t process it immediately. That isn’t unexpected, and that is not the CSA’s fault. The cost of the full CSA is a bit steep though for what we receive: $555 for 22 weeks or $25.22 per week. The half share is $310 for 22 weeks or $14.09 per week. We had considered going down to a half share since u-pick is open to both shares equally. Part of this weekend’s discussion I guess!

The fruit share is a no-brainer. It was $180 for 18 weeks or $10 per week. If I could JUST buy the fruit share, I would and I’d be done with it. But, the fruit share is only available in conjunction with a half or full farm share. And the fruit share blew me away on the value!! so we do want that.

On to this week’s share…

This bag was heavy. Fall vegetables normally are, and this week was loaded. I didn’t process the spinach from last week yet (it is holding up fine), so I grabbed Hubby some greens this week.

2014 CSA Share Week 20

● Acorn Squash*
● Apples*
● Asian Pears*
● Beets
● Broccoli*
● Brussels Sprouts*
● Carrots*
● Cauliflower*
● Chard
● Delicata Squash
● Fennel
● Kale
● Lettuce*
● Onions*
● Pears
● Peppers, sweet and hot*
● Quince*
● Potatoes
● Radishes
● Scallions
● Spinach
● Turnips
● Various Greens*

* took for share

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