I Joined a CSA This Summer — Here’s Why It Was Worth It

As a farmers market frequenter, I’ve always loved strolling past each tent’s unique offerings and stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies for the week. But it never occurred to me that instead of going to the farmers market, that the farmers market could come to me. That is, until I learned about CSAs.

What Is a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program that’s predicated on the idea that farms and their community members share a mutual interest: supporting each other.

When you join a CSA, you are essentially purchasing a share of a farm’s output for a range of time (typically the growing season, summer through fall). Each week your share is made available for pick up or delivery, depending on the farm, and consists of that week’s bounty — from vegetables and fruit to eggs, mushrooms, bread, flowers, jam and more.

For both farmers and CSA members, the benefits are plentiful. Farmers receive payments early in the growing season, shoring up funds to maintain the growing season without financial worry, and members get to delight in locally grown goodness. Joining a CSA is also a great way to become more sustainable as it encourages local dollars to stay local while helping to eliminate unnecessary food waste. A farm’s surplus that may have been wasted otherwise is instead redirected toward CSA members, helping to nourish the community.

To find a CSA near you, search your zip code on Local Harvest. Each listing gives a summary of the farm, share prices, contact information and more so you can decide which one is the best fit. CSA sign-ups typically begin prior to the season, around March, and can fill up fast so it’s helpful to be ready with your choice ahead of time.

How Much Does It Cost?

Every CSA is different and cost will vary just as much. Some CSAs offer types of shares, like half shares versus family shares, to give options when it comes to pricing and the amount of food you receive. If a share price seems high, remember that there are many variables to take into account, like whether the farm delivers your share to your door, how many weeks are included or if there are any available add-ons to supplement your share. There are many CSAs to choose from, so take the time to find a program that fits into your schedule, budget and lifestyle.

Why It’s Been Worth It

Besides looking forward to what fun, new vegetable will be in our share each week, being part of a CSA has instilled a deeper sense of connection to the food that I eat. Knowing where it came from, how it’s grown and meeting the people who grow it has had a profound influence on how I consume, including how to be more intentional and less wasteful.

I’ve also cut down on grocery store visits. With a variety of produce coming my way each week, I’m only heading to the store for essentials, if at all. Eating with the seasons, supporting local farms and saving money? Win, win.

How To Make Use Of It All

Sometimes you’ll receive something in a CSA box that you’re not sure what to do with (see: garlic scapes), or maybe you’ve gotten an ingredient a few times now and can’t think of another way to make use of it (ahem, zucchini). Some CSAs get ahead of this by providing recipe inspiration with each week’s box and encouraging members to share any recipes they loved. This way, nothing goes to waste and you try something new.

As you might’ve guessed, we recently received a bunch of zucchini with our CSA share and didn’t know what to do with it. Enter, chocolate zucchini bread.

Watch how it all comes together with other ingredients we got from our CSA below: