Comments greenparent has made

Research beforehand saves disappointment later

A CSA can be a positive experience if you ask some questions first before joining. If you're not sure you want to commit to buying vegetables for an entire season, for example, ask whether you can pay week by week. The CSA I was in last year had a pay-as-you-go plan, which was wonderful because even though I signed up for the half-share plan, I still received quite a bit of food and often didn't need to buy food every week as I had plenty from the previous week. Also, ask whether you are allowed to trade food that you know you won't eat for food that you like. My local CSA had a "trade table" on which you could exchange a vegetable you didn't want for one that you did. The organizer of that same CSA also sent a weekly e-mail several days before pick-up letting members know the types of foods that would be offered that week. Then, on the night of pick-up, recipes were available for several of the foods included in that week's share. I know that I wouldn't have known what to do with kale had I not picked up a recipe for it. Any other concerns you might have about a CSA should be addressed before you make a commitment for the season. You still might encounter problems or concerns even after you join, but at least you should have a fairly good idea of what you're getting into. On Umbra on joining a CSA posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses