On Sun, 7 May 2006 03:10:53 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>Serene > wrote:
>
>>http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/
>
>Interesting.
>
>I can think of a few reasons as a consumer I'd be reluctant
>to sign on for such a thing: (1) I've allocated a big chunk
>of my food budget to one source, therefore I have less opportunity
>to take advantage on available food/produce in the rest
>of the market, (2) it's not clear what happens if the farmer
>underperforms, or becomes disabled, or whatever.

I've had good experiences with one of the local CSAs, and I've heard
good things about the one I'm about to sign up with. As for the chunk
of the budget, right now, I buy all my produce from one local market,
and I like the idea of having $20 a week go to an actual farmer who
grows the stuff. (In addition, that's fewer veggies I have to lug
home on each trip home from the store.)

My favorite thing, though, about the CSA concept, is that I don't know
what's coming, so it can be a game to figure out what I'm going to do
with stuff, diverse stuff. I usually buy many of the same things over
and over from our local market, so I'm enjoying the thought of having
some variety.

That said, my least favorite thing about the concept is that my
veggies will sit around in the fridge or on the counter while I'm
trying to use them up. Currently, I buy for one or two days in
advance, not a week.

We'll see how it goes. I'll post after I've had a few deliveries.

serene