<p>Mostly because at the time, it was the only one that would deliver to my home. It was important to me because having moved to California from New York, I am in love with the idea of being able to grow what you eat. Initially i grew a lot of my own vegetables, but now I leave a lot of it to the CSA. It forces me to try new things, and because during a season, you will get the same item several times ( i.e. chard, kale, butternut squash), you can try a few recipes until you find some “keepers”. They send a newsletter with “farm news”, and recipes. This CSA gets bashed sometimes on the Bay area Chowhound site ( [San</a> Francisco Bay Area - Chowhound](<a href=“http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/1]San”>http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/1)) because it has gotten really large, stores some of its produce in chillers or something, and gets some of it’s produce far from here. Still, I’ve been happy.</p>
<p>Just joined a local cooperative CSA–8 organic producers. Two weeks in, I’m thrilled to bits. One way to be sure you get your daily fruits and veggies… buy them and then try not to waste them!</p>
<p>I wish they’d label stuff! I get things I have to identify… my sister’s advice was: if it’s thick and green, it’s a winter green and you stir-fry it. If it tastes like a Chinese cabbage, it probably is, even if it doesn’t look like it. If it’s hard to chop up with a heavy nice, put it in stews or soups. </p>
<p>I’m fortunate that my D lives nearby and is thrilled to take my extras. And my beets.</p>
<p>We belonged to one for many years–we have more room to grow, now, and aren’t always in the area on pickup day, so we recently stopped our membership. however, my D and her BF still belong, so we get updates. I loved being introduced to veggies I wouldn’t have known about before, esp myriad kinds of greens and squash. They also added optional fruit shares, included live plants (tomatoes, basil, etc), flowers, and educational/fun excursions to the farm. Wish it’d been around when the kids were little–great fun for the small ones. D is now also getting frree-range meats and eggs from them (for extra charge.) She also raised chicks last summer as part of a program to connect folks with where their food comes from.</p>
<p>I do miss it, but love growing our own and being near farmers, as we are now.</p>
<p>I love my CSA! Every week great fresh veggies & fruit. A nice newsletter that includes recipes. I couldn’t ask for more (expect maybe not so many carrots - I really can’t eat a whole bunch every week).</p>
<p>I love my CSA too. My house is the dropoff spot for the neighborhood, so I don’t even have to go out and get my veggies. I have a flower share too, so I have fresh flowers every week. My CSA is on vacation from Thanksgiving to March though.</p>
<p>Long time member (at least 10 years). Ours operates May through October and the farm is a real community. If I had small children, it would be the first thing I’d look for when moving to an area - not just for the veggies, but the opportunities to see all that goes on throughout the growing season. Every CSA I’ve heard of grows into other related activities based on interests and talents of the members and the whole thing is wonderful. </p>
<p>Our pickup coordinators usually know enough about each vegetable that they can recommend how to use each. The farmers also e-mail with recipes. We’re eating vegetables I would never have thought to pick up at the grocery store. There are some we don’t care for - but at least we tried them.</p>
<p>CSA “vacations” are In interesting idea, I thought one of the basic ideas was to allow them to stabilize their income, year round.Easier in California, I’m sure.</p>
<p>We tried but with just two in the household it was hard to eat everything. Then our CSA couldn’t get enough people in our area so the pick up is 35 miles away. When that happened I had to drop out. (My friends and I emailed others and tried to get a group together…most people said they preferred our farmers market as they could choose their own items. I find the FM expensive.)</p>
<p>Mine runs May or so through October, given our cold weather location. I’ve had a great time watching them grow from a one family operation to a rather large and multifaceted organization. In our area, my HMO allow us to use our ‘Good Health Bonus’ towards CSA membership, so as to encourage eating organic produce. A great boon to local agriculture as well as enabling membership for many families. </p>
<p>I share membership with another family, which works out very well. One family doesn’t like the kale or beets, the other benefits. I grow my own tomatoes, so keep the odd stuff and my partner family takes the more common. One of us is on vacation, the other keeps the share for the week. </p>
<p>Picking up that diverse bag of produce each week feels a little like Christmas-new, delicious and pretty surprises each week.</p>
<p>Our family is part of a CSA in NY. We work on the farm a total of 70 hours over the season and get free organic produce once a week from June to the end of October. It’s a great deal and working on the farm is fun too.</p>
<p>We also belong to a CSA. Ours is from the last operating farm in Boston - which actually sits on the city line - and which has been dedicated by the owning family to agriculture for hundreds of years. Like since 1640. </p>
<p>The CSA helps them a lot - and also gives us ridiculously good food, including odd varieties of radish we’ll never see in stores and heirloom celery that is ridiculously concentrated in flavor. The CSA brings in a lot of income during the lean months and converts a bunch of stuff that they would otherwise sell wholesale into a more retail price.</p>