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Suggestions/feedback on local CSAs?
01/16/2010 2:10 PM by John M
A reader is looking for feedback on the local CSAs:
What did you think of your CSA farm share? What farm did you purchase from, what veggies did you get, and what other things such as eggs, goat cheese, flowers, or other things? Where did you pick up, or did they deliver to your home, at what cost, and what was your over all view of it all?
love, love our friends & CSA providers: Adam & Darbi of Fertile Crescent Farm. http://www.fertilecrescentfarm.com
They provided an assortment of salad greens, beans, tomatoes, squash, eggplants, some melons & apples & strawberries, and lots of other good foods. All listed on the website.
We picked up our weekly share, but you can add delivery this year as well. They are great folks who love great food! It’s $500 for 20 weeks full share; $300 half share; $25 off sign ups before 1.31.2010 and only an extra $50, which you can split if you register others in the same delivery location.
They sell flowers at the market, and I’m sure you could arrange to have them delivered weekly with your CSA if you pay in advance. Their sunflowers were eye-catching. Amazing.
I’ve used Amy’s Garden for years – an immense amount of produce and it is harvested so that it stays fresh much longer than any other. Washed salad greens stay fresh, never mushy for two weeks – if they happen to go uneaten…
Because people did not support the Bryan Park market a lot of vendors will not be going there again. Including Amy, although there will be a northside pick up to be determined.
We have enjoyed Victory Farms for several years. They have pickups at 17th Street Farmers Market as well as the Forest Hill Market. All of the membership info is on their site. They only sell veggies, fruits and flowers but I have yet to see a CSA that successfully does everything, so if you want eggs and milk and cheese you’re going to have to go to multiple sources.
http://www.victoryfarmsinc.com/
A friend and I bought a full share from Frog Bottom Farm CSA this past year. It was $600 and I think it ran 22 weeks. They had veggies but no flowers or anything else. Veggies ranged from salad greens and carrots early on, then lots of squash and tomatoes, some eggplants, then potatoes and lots and LOTS of greens in the fall. We also subscribed to an extended season in the fall that ran thru Dec. but it was mostly greens, plus rutabagas, butternut squash and potatoes. I love swiss chard but it ran out early and mostly we had kale and collards for the last few months. Much as I got tired of greens these last few months, I learned to love rutabaga!
I just got an email about their 2010 season, it’s $650 + 2/5% sales tax for full share, $350 + 2.5% tax half share. Runs first of June thru 26 weeks, ends Thanksgiving week.
The main reason we chose them was the ease of pick-up, they had p/u at the Montessori school in Church Hill as well as places in Ginter Park and Midlothian, 4 to 7 p.m. so it was easy to swing by after work. The couple who run it are really nice, the farm is in Pamplin, and the produce was REALLY fresh so it lasted a long time (same as #2).
http://frogbottomfarm.com/
We are fans of Dominion Harvest, with delivery right to our front door. We got a big red box (with ice packs to keep things cool) full of seasonal veggies, fruit, goat cheese, doz-eggs, and occasional oddities like honey, peanuts, hummus, etc. The “Govenor’s Box” cost about $56 per week…which by CSA standards might be expensive, but it comes to your front door! Also, produce is from a variety of sources, meats are add-ons. You can get a smaller box (cheaper) and opt for every-other week. We plan to re-up in the spring.
we did a fruit/veggie share with AgriBerry this year, and it changed my life. fresh asparagus, snow peas, all kinds of berries, cherries, peaches, melons,apples, fresh cider, OH MY! highly recommend it!