361453 Thu Jan 18 04:17:33 -0800 2007 3 8 Midwest 0 2200757 I'm considering buying a share in a CSA this summer. I'd really like some fresh, local produce. Do you have any places that you'd recommend? I've got some information from Burning River Farm, but I've seen a few others that were cheaper - I'm wondering what the difference is. alison Thu Jan 18 04:17:33 -0800 2007 12002 Reddyrat 1 2200853 You might want to look at localharvest.com. It has a searchable data base of CSAs. I might add that CSAs are not only an investment money but of time, particularly if you want to get the most out of it. Do you have time do build a relationship with your farmer? That's the really terrific thing about CSAs is that you really get to become involved in food production in an intimate way by getting to know the people growing your food. Some CSAs have on-farm events throughout the year which gives you an opportunity to learn about the production process. Does that appeal to you? If not, you might want to reconsider. Another thing is the delivery day and the amount of time you have to cook on the days following delivery. A little explanation (and forgive me for this little monologue, particularly if this isn't new to you). Fresh produce comes ripe and ready to be consumed. Grocery store produce -- which, in the midwest typically travels 1,500 miles before ending up in the store -- is often genetically designed for shelf life rather than flavor. It is picked green and gassed in the truck to ripen. Some of it -- carrots, for instance -- has been crossbred to survive the rigors of industrial agriculture. You ever notice that pale yellow or even white core in the middle of a carrot. Carrots weren't always like that. Heirloom carrots -- my favorte is Bolero -- is deep orange to the core when you cut it in half. And it is delicious. But they could never dig 'em up mechanically because they'd crack in half with the big metal shovels. You get lots of stuff when you belong to CSAs and even if you are a veggie love, which I am, you will realize once the novelty of getting five or ten pounds of vegetables each week that there are things that you just don't like THAT much. And you never get enough of anything during any one week that allows you to do much with it but cook it for a solitary meal. (I guess I'm thinking mostly about canning and freezing.) I found rather quickly that I eat bok choy, but I can eat without bok choy. I loved the half-dozen or so tomatoes that I received each week, but typically two were something exotic like a Green Zebra or an Ugli, one might have been a good slicing tomato and another couple a good tomato for paste. So, you get the thrill of eating fresh tomatoes every day but you don't really get to do much with them. You also don't really know what you are going to get until you get it. And, since you can't really leave these things in the crisper forever, you might find that you will quickly have a big compost bin in your refrigerator. Lastly, unless you have a plan, you will find that you spend lots of extra time washing, peeling, etc. You will be surprised how much you were willing to trade convenience for taste. That being said, I still think that CSAs are great. But they definitely aren't for everyone. You can find some more info about eating local, CSAs, etc. at my website: www.essentialiowa.com Good luck Thu Jan 18 04:53:56 -0800 2007 2200757 25885 jwagnerdsm 1 2201033 Here's another source of information, from the Land Stewardship Project: http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html Thu Jan 18 05:51:07 -0800 2007 2200757 18924 Rowdy 1 2203775 This was my first year using a CSA and I found jwagnerdsm to be right in a bunch of things. The CSA I use is Whole Farm Coop (http://www.wholefarmcoop.com/). They suit me well, because I don't sign up for a whole season, I order every couple of weeks. And I can order only what I want. Also - they offer smaller amounts, which is good since it's just me at home. I love their "veggie bags" which are a mixed bag of whatever they've got a bunch of. They come in $10, $15, and $20 amounts and you don't know what you get until you open the bag. It was a fun challenge to find recipes for kohlrabi and beets (I've eaten them out, but this was my first time preparing them myself). So, yes, check around and find a CSA that suits you. But do participate if you can. They are a great part of living close to such good ingredients. Thu Jan 18 22:29:02 -0800 2007 2200757 46057 Uisge