Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Ok, tell me -- would any of you drive 45 mins per week for a CSA share? How about if you had a somewhat reluctant spouse who might end up doing a good bit of that driving and definitely have to step out of his comfort zone to learn to cook/use/preserve some of the veges and fruits? And can anyone tell me why, with all the farms in my town and surrounded counties, why no one offers community supported agriculture shares? ?? So, you know, so I won't have to waste 1.5 hours worth of gas per week. (BTW, car gets 35-40 mpg highway, which is most of the driving to get to the veges.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I wouldn't. I'd grow my own vegetables in a home garden. Money saved on gas would pay for seeds, tools, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana in OR Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I belonged to an organic CSA for several years. I drove 25 min. each way (I know, it's not 45, but it was a drive, nonetheless). I drive 20 min. to another town to pick up a regular food co-op order about once a month. I would do it if it were just for the summer/fall growing season. I wouldn't do it year-round. I can't speak for your dh ;), but I think it's a great idea, personally. Is there anyone who lives near you who would share a membership with you? I did this one year, and we took turns picking up the produce. That worked well. I think the whole idea is good for so many reasons. First and foremost, it would be beneficial for your family. I also think it lets local farmers know that there is a market for CSAs in your area. It's also good for promoting the idea within your community. The more people who participate in CSAs and similar programs, the more the idea will (hopefully) catch on. I say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Any chance you could get a couple other people together to do it with you? The farmer might be willing to make deliveries to a common drop off point if it were four or five shares. Even if it were only one other person, you could at least trade off the drive. Maybe you could convince a nearby college or business to "host" a CSA next year? I'm getting mine this year through school--they have a "health" initiative thing going on to make their employees healthier so that they don't have to pay so much for health ins. So, they got a half dozen or so farmers to make CSA deliveries to the school, so that employees would have no excuse NOT to do it. We'll pick ours up on the way home from school that day. You know, it's still a mostly-good trade-off for the environment and for the freshness of the food. It's just a PITA for you, time-wise and budget-wise. It might still be worth it for you. THings are just too tight around here for that, but you might be able to swing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2jnb Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would. We are big into veggies. We currently just moved to a house with a much smaller yard so growing most of our veggies isn't an option. We live in an area that is very lucky that we have so many farms/orhards and such around here. We actually have a CSA that will deliver for us....did you do a search at Local Harvest dot org.....or go to animalvegetablemiracle dot org and it will link you to ther searches...maybe you have one closer.....maybe not.... My hubby would be very leary of the 45 minute drive. In the end he would realize the benefits and he would still probably grump a little weekly but I think it would be worth it. Good Luck Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdWTMer Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 You know Pam. What I would do is try to locate enough people in your area to buy into it, so they will make a stop closer to you. Maybe that could easily be done if they know that there is quite a bit of interest. We're pretty lucky here in San Diego, they have stops every where it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I wouldn't. I'd grow my own vegetables in a home garden. Money saved on gas would pay for seeds, tools, etc. I'm so jealous! ;) Ok, if you were me and lived in a condo on a hill, would you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Ok, tell me -- would any of you drive 45 mins per week for a CSA share? Well, Pam, I am doing this, but then I have to drive a distance just to go to the grocery. I combine my trips to the regular library, university library, Target, whatever. Beginning in April, CSA share pickup day will be my errand day. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 This is what I would do, in this order: Try to find a CSA that is closer (sounds like you've already tried this) Try to recruit one or more families to sign up also in order to either convince the farm to drop off in my town or to have someone to split the driving with Call the farm and make sure they don't have a closer pick-up point (maybe at a weekly farmer's market?) Combine the trip to the farm with other necessary errands Bite the bullet and drive up just for the CSA pickup, in hopes that next year there would be a pick-up point closer to me Can you tell I'm dreaming of spring and of my CSA? Of course, we have to wait until June for our first pickup. Darn short Vermont growing season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Honestly, I probably wouldn't drive that far for a CSA membership. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristineIN Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I wouldn't either, I would try and find a farmer nearby that has fresh veggies, not necessarily a CSA. Kristine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hey, Parisarah... there is a lady who works at the Environment school who grows chickens, ducks, etc. free-range, no nasties. Just some info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I don't know about 45 minutes one way. We've done 25 minutes one way for the last two years to participate in ours (30 weeks a year), but, thank the Gods, this year she is doing *HOME DELIVERY* <cue fireworks and general celebration!> as well as adding her own eggs. The problem here is that there are very few CSAs, so we were fortunate to get in on the ground floor of this one. It has definitely been inconvenient at times, especially as my daughter has gotten a bit older and needed more focused school time in the morning (pickups were in the morning only). I am *not* a farmer/gardener by any stretch, so this is my best bet. I would have to drive as far if not farther to get to most of the farmer's markets, much less the ones specializing in organic, and the prices would be higher. There is an organic produce delivery service, but it is not locally grown. It has definitely moved me out of my comfort zone in terms of what vegetables I prepare and we eat (though I really do wish she would find something to grow instead of the okra!;)). It's been nice to put on things in the freezer when there's an abundance to have during the winter. My husband is advocating canning, but I'm not quite there yet :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 hm. 45 minutes? It would have to be A LOT of food, and I'm guessing it is? To save your dh some comfort zone boundaries, you could check into seeing if there's another person who would be willing to help preserve stuff for a portion of the crop. but i would only suggest the drive if there are really NO local options that would suit you. no local farmers? no local homeowners who would consider trading a row or 2 in their garden for some weeding/watering? Or someone like me who has no green thumb but plenty of green space and would happily let someone start a garden as long as I didn't hafta maintain it? ;) I know that for those of you w/ serious environmental concerns, the gas used is only one part of the equation-- at about $4/gal, $8 a week really isn't too bad--emissions is another, as is time and supporting the local community. The actual gas mileage vs the estimated is another consideration. be sure to check your starting miles, ending miles, and gallons pumped. DH does this all. the. time. and gripes a LOT about it. He's anal when it comes to efficiency of cars tho.:rolleyes: I'll bet if we look hard enough we'll find a book about growing goodies in your condo, lol. Container gardening and all that. But I'd rather just drive and buy it, honestly. Or find a happy medium of growing your own 2-3 "used the most" products and buying the rest at the best local option. Sarah mentioned a cool option --calling local schools and see if they have any programs. Even if the school itself doesn't, they may know of another option in your community that shares your same values in what you are looking for. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would... but a 45 minute drive doesn't sound that long to me (hey, I live in So Cal, right?), and I love my veggies. I wish I could find one that I liked that close to us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Ok, tell me -- would any of you drive 45 mins per week for a CSA share? How about if you had a somewhat reluctant spouse who might end up doing a good bit of that driving and definitely have to step out of his comfort zone to learn to cook/use/preserve some of the veges and fruits? And can anyone tell me why, with all the farms in my town and surrounded counties, why no one offers community supported agriculture shares? ?? So, you know, so I won't have to waste 1.5 hours worth of gas per week. (BTW, car gets 35-40 mpg highway, which is most of the driving to get to the veges.) If I'd truly exhausted all options for finding a more "efficient" solution, then my answer would be yes. The reason they may not offer CSA shares more proximate to you is that "they" haven't found it to be economically practical. If you're willing to spend even MORE time, with the hope that you would save time in the long run, then I might suggest you approach this farm or another nearby and find out whether they have ever considered running a CSA and what number of people they might need to make it happen. You and a few other interested parties might be able to help move it forward. Gotta fly...would love to discuss more later. Assume you've checked out http://www.localharvest.org Doran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I only recommend it if it is 45 mins. up I-81. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I only recommend it if it is 45 mins. up I-81. ;) It is 45 minutes up I-81. Goofball. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I belonged to an organic CSA for several years. I drove 25 min. each way (I know, it's not 45, but it was a drive, nonetheless). I drive 20 min. to another town to pick up a regular food co-op order about once a month. I would do it if it were just for the summer/fall growing season. I wouldn't do it year-round. I can't speak for your dh ;), but I think it's a great idea, personally. Is there anyone who lives near you who would share a membership with you? I did this one year, and we took turns picking up the produce. That worked well. I think the whole idea is good for so many reasons. First and foremost, it would be beneficial for your family. I also think it lets local farmers know that there is a market for CSAs in your area. It's also good for promoting the idea within your community. The more people who participate in CSAs and similar programs, the more the idea will (hopefully) catch on. I say go for it. Most people I know here are either 21 y/o college students or are not remotely interested in this. The one who is is not interested in driving that far, even every other week. I'm leaning more toward doing this, but will have to convince the husband. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Any chance you could get a couple other people together to do it with you? The farmer might be willing to make deliveries to a common drop off point if it were four or five shares. Even if it were only one other person, you could at least trade off the drive. Maybe you could convince a nearby college or business to "host" a CSA next year? I'm getting mine this year through school--they have a "health" initiative thing going on to make their employees healthier so that they don't have to pay so much for health ins. So, they got a half dozen or so farmers to make CSA deliveries to the school, so that employees would have no excuse NOT to do it. We'll pick ours up on the way home from school that day. You know, it's still a mostly-good trade-off for the environment and for the freshness of the food. It's just a PITA for you, time-wise and budget-wise. It might still be worth it for you. THings are just too tight around here for that, but you might be able to swing it. I figure it's not really unreasonable to spend $27.50 (including gas) per week on 25-30 lbs of vegetables and fruit. Right? (Or is that off, somehow?) I mean, it seems to me that I spend almost that much each week at farmer's market and supermarket in the summer. I'm not very good at this "is it a good deal?" thing. I keep thinking there's something I'm missing here. :eek: Local ideas of "healthy options" are to smoke outside and to make sure the bacon cheeseburger is on a fresh bun. LOL But it would be worth a try, certainly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would. We are big into veggies. We currently just moved to a house with a much smaller yard so growing most of our veggies isn't an option. We live in an area that is very lucky that we have so many farms/orhards and such around here. We actually have a CSA that will deliver for us....did you do a search at Local Harvest dot org.....or go to animalvegetablemiracle dot org and it will link you to ther searches...maybe you have one closer.....maybe not....My hubby would be very leary of the 45 minute drive. In the end he would realize the benefits and he would still probably grump a little weekly but I think it would be worth it. Good Luck Alison Yeah, I've looked at all the usual suspect websites. The CSA in question is the closest available (by about 30 mins) and is on a farm that changed over from raising tobacco to raising veges and fruits for local market. I think my husband will come around as well. I'll just have to tell him he's not allowed to grump. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I don't know about 45 minutes one way. We've done 25 minutes one way for the last two years to participate in ours (30 weeks a year), but, thank the Gods, this year she is doing *HOME DELIVERY* <cue fireworks and general celebration!> as well as adding her own eggs. The problem here is that there are very few CSAs, so we were fortunate to get in on the ground floor of this one. It has definitely been inconvenient at times, especially as my daughter has gotten a bit older and needed more focused school time in the morning (pickups were in the morning only). I am *not* a farmer/gardener by any stretch, so this is my best bet. I would have to drive as far if not farther to get to most of the farmer's markets, much less the ones specializing in organic, and the prices would be higher. There is an organic produce delivery service, but it is not locally grown. It has definitely moved me out of my comfort zone in terms of what vegetables I prepare and we eat (though I really do wish she would find something to grow instead of the okra!;)). It's been nice to put on things in the freezer when there's an abundance to have during the winter. My husband is advocating canning, but I'm not quite there yet :) Wow, home delivery! I cannot imagine such a thing! :) We have a freezer, and it would be glorious to put some food in it. I have a local farmer's market, but prices -- I don't begrudge the farmer his/her price, please understand. But we make so very little money right now that we can't actually afford much. $27 doesn't go very far there. Certainly not any kind of quantity. I'm right there with you about canning. Someday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 You know Pam. What I would do is try to locate enough people in your area to buy into it, so they will make a stop closer to you. Maybe that could easily be done if they know that there is quite a bit of interest. We're pretty lucky here in San Diego, they have stops every where it seems. They have stops, but for some reason don't come into TN from ANY direction. I might be able to put up a flier at school, though. Hmm. Maybe faculty would be a better bet than the student population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 hm. 45 minutes? It would have to be A LOT of food, and I'm guessing it is? To save your dh some comfort zone boundaries, you could check into seeing if there's another person who would be willing to help preserve stuff for a portion of the crop. but i would only suggest the drive if there are really NO local options that would suit you. no local farmers? no local homeowners who would consider trading a row or 2 in their garden for some weeding/watering? Or someone like me who has no green thumb but plenty of green space and would happily let someone start a garden as long as I didn't hafta maintain it? ;) I know that for those of you w/ serious environmental concerns, the gas used is only one part of the equation-- at about $4/gal, $8 a week really isn't too bad--emissions is another, as is time and supporting the local community. The actual gas mileage vs the estimated is another consideration. be sure to check your starting miles, ending miles, and gallons pumped. DH does this all. the. time. and gripes a LOT about it. He's anal when it comes to efficiency of cars tho.:rolleyes: I'll bet if we look hard enough we'll find a book about growing goodies in your condo, lol. Container gardening and all that. But I'd rather just drive and buy it, honestly. Or find a happy medium of growing your own 2-3 "used the most" products and buying the rest at the best local option. Sarah mentioned a cool option --calling local schools and see if they have any programs. Even if the school itself doesn't, they may know of another option in your community that shares your same values in what you are looking for. good luck! Container gardening is certainly an option, but the variety I could have with just a *little* effort each week... it's a Siren's song. Best local I can't afford. It's about 4/5 of a bushel for $22.50/wk plus gas. Lots o' food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Well, Pam, I am doing this, but then I have to drive a distance just to go to the grocery. I combine my trips to the regular library, university library, Target, whatever. Beginning in April, CSA share pickup day will be my errand day. Jane Errand day -- I like the sound of that. Unfortunately for convincing dh, our nearest grocery is within walking distance, if one doesn't mind the walk back UP the mountain with the groceries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 This is what I would do, in this order: Try to find a CSA that is closer (sounds like you've already tried this) Try to recruit one or more families to sign up also in order to either convince the farm to drop off in my town or to have someone to split the driving with Call the farm and make sure they don't have a closer pick-up point (maybe at a weekly farmer's market?) Combine the trip to the farm with other necessary errands Bite the bullet and drive up just for the CSA pickup, in hopes that next year there would be a pick-up point closer to me Can you tell I'm dreaming of spring and of my CSA? Of course, we have to wait until June for our first pickup. Darn short Vermont growing season. 28 weeks, starting in April here. I will definitely call the farm. They have two farmer's market drops already, but still way north of me. This drop point is 20 minutes south of their farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I wouldn't either, I would try and find a farmer nearby that has fresh veggies, not necessarily a CSA. Kristine Thanks, Kristine and Plaid Dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would... but a 45 minute drive doesn't sound that long to me (hey, I live in So Cal, right?), and I love my veggies. I wish I could find one that I liked that close to us... It's all relative, isn't it? :-) Well, when you move out here, you'll see how far 45 minutes of driving can take you! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 If I'd truly exhausted all options for finding a more "efficient" solution, then my answer would be yes. The reason they may not offer CSA shares more proximate to you is that "they" haven't found it to be economically practical. If you're willing to spend even MORE time, with the hope that you would save time in the long run, then I might suggest you approach this farm or another nearby and find out whether they have ever considered running a CSA and what number of people they might need to make it happen. You and a few other interested parties might be able to help move it forward. Gotta fly...would love to discuss more later. Assume you've checked out http://www.localharvest.org Doran 45 minutes one way. I sorta mistyped when I put the original message out there. Finding other people would necessitate talking to strangers about this, right? Shudder. ;) I have indeed checked it out, and that is where I found the CSA. Efficient in my case means the most food for the least dollars. So I *think* this is efficient. And predictable. And local-ish. And naturally grown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Finding other people would necessitate talking to strangers about this, right? Shudder. ;) HEY!! could you run a short ad in a local newspaper? college bulletin board? newsletter? craigslist? maybe someone that usually hates dealing w/ people would be motivated to call you up just to get in on a deal like this? You'd still have to TALK to strangers, but at least you'd know that if they called you they are interested... :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 It is 45 minutes up I-81. Goofball. :D I say go for it. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I say go for it. :D I say you should agree to drive down and take half of it if I get overwhelmed by the enormity of the box of veges. Oh, and go get coffee with me, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I say you should agree to drive down and take half of it if I get overwhelmed by the enormity of the box of veges. Oh, and go get coffee with me, of course. Deal! Or, When I get up there, I could pick up for you and hold it hostage. See, I just need to find a place to live up there NOW and then I can be a big help.:rolleyes: Tell dh that he will have a place to drop off the little one and have adult conversation, if he agrees to do it. That should get him on board.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm so jealous! ;) Ok, if you were me and lived in a condo on a hill, would you? The somewhat reluctant spouse would be a deal-killer for me, I'm afraid, even with condo living. Is there a garden space you could rent for yourself to use? I know where I used to live there were a few areas in the city where you could rent garden space for the year. (Some of them were free, but those tended to have long waiting lists.) It's possible to grow quite a lot of produce in a small area when you use intensive gardening techniques such as mulching.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I don't know, if the CSA is not really in your community, I think you're sort of defeating the purpose. Is there no local farmer's market or farms that offer pick your own stuff during the summer, etc., that might be closer for you (and allow you to moderate amounts you receive better)? Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Container gardening is certainly an option, but the variety I could have with just a *little* effort each week... it's a Siren's song. Best local I can't afford. It's about 4/5 of a bushel for $22.50/wk plus gas. Lots o' food. Have you seen the things you hang up for tomato plants. The Hearthsong catalog, I think, has it. The tomato plants grow upside down. Since I can't get them to grow right side up, I figured trying upside down can't hurt.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 The somewhat reluctant spouse would be a deal-killer for me, I'm afraid, even with condo living. Is there a garden space you could rent for yourself to use? I know where I used to live there were a few areas in the city where you could rent garden space for the year. (Some of them were free, but those tended to have long waiting lists.) It's possible to grow quite a lot of produce in a small area when you use intensive gardening techniques such as mulching.... My choice would be gardening, too. Would container gardening work for you? Is there a place you can garden where your condo is? When we were first married, our landlady offered us garden space on the apartment house property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I would, and I have done so for four years now. Pam, the farm that we belong to is in Pennington (Westish of Princeton) and we totally love it. It takes us about 45 minutes per week to drive out there, but it has become a "family thing." Granted, my dh actually enjoys it because he loves reaping the benefits of a huge garden without the toil. And the variety of foods that we get at the farm cannot be matched on the home garden level. It has been an awesome experience for our children to actually learn about food and where it comes from. Your wee girlie will love romping through the fields, picking strawberries and cherry tomatoes and flowers. Having said all that, we are changing our membership this year. We have friends who live basically around the corner and we've decided that this year we will split a family share. This way we'll only have to drive out there every other week. I would love to learn to can veggies (I freeze some of the things that we get) but I doubt that I'll do it this summer. I know people who do a great job of putting up their extra produce all summer long, but I am not one of them (at least not right now.) Our farm offers boxed shares which are delivered to drop off spots all around the state, but it doesn't sound like that's an option for you. I would recommend that you give it a try. As long as darling husband can live with it, that sounds good enough to me. Oh, and another idea is that you can do what Ms. D did when she was a member: that was her opportunity to go out alone early on a Saturday morning and commune with nature in the middle of a field while donning an elegant straw hat. No kid. No hubby. Just her, the son, and a lot of warm soil. Sounds good to me. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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