Well, it's January, and you know what that means: It's cold as fuck. And also the Super Bowl is happening soon. And half of you (including me) are probably sick with some cold bug right now. Joy of joys.

But on the bright side, CSA signup season is beginning! CSA programs are an exciting new phenomenon arising out of small, local farmers' desire to make a living off of growing small-scale, heirloom produce, and you - whether you're a self-proclaimed "foodie," a slow-food or organic activist, or just someone who wants to eat healthier - deserve to sign up for one.


Okay, Dev, what the hell is a CSA, and why are you wasting my time with this thread?

"CSA" stands for "community-supported agriculture," and it's just what it sounds like. The concept centers around a town or city supporting local farms through - quite literally - putting their money where their mouth is.


I'm intrigued... explain this thing further.

To become a member of a CSA, you literally buy a share in a farm. The act of doing so is very much like putting your money in the stock market: you directly fund a company in exchange for periodic payments of dividends. Only in the case of a CSA, instead of cash, your dividends come in the form of weekly shipments of produce directly from the farm, usually for a set period of weeks.

Here's an example: Say that you want to purchase a CSA membership. You search on the web and find a program that delivers to your hometown - say, ten weeks for a down payment of $250. You sign up in the winter, pay your $250, and then come Easter, you begin to get weekly shipments of stuff straight from the farm.


Wait - you mean that the food comes directly to me??

Well, sort of. Most CSAs have a system of "drop-off points" where the weekly shares are delivered at a set time each week. Drop-offs usually take place in the evenings, and you'll usually have a choice of two or three days during the week.


Okay, well that's alright. So, can I pick what sort of stuff I get?

Usually not. Your shares will basically consist of whatever the farm is capable of growing at that point in the year, so you're guaranteed to get a variety of different things in each box.


That sucks! Is it at least cheaper than buying all of this junk at the store?

Definitely. The price for a share will most often work out to $20-$25 a week, on average. Some weeks you might be disappointed in your haul, but for the most part you'll get more than your money's worth, thanks to there being no middleman. Remember that while there's several links in the distribution chain for your average supermarket, the produce from a CSA goes straight from the farm to you.

And besides, supermarket produce can't even begin to compare to the quality of food that you'll get from a CSA membership. So even on the odd occasion that you don't get your money's worth in quantity, you'll definitely get it in quality.


Cool. So what are the other advantages to a membership?

There's several! For one, your money goes toward supporting local, organic, sustainable farming practices. Those practices, in turn, produce the best-tasting fruits and veggies you've ever tasted in your life - the only equivalent, really, is farmer's market produce, and the variety that you'll get from a CSA rivals anything that you'll find at such a market. Third, it encourages you to both try new things and to discover new ways of cooking all of the various stuff you'll get each week. Finally, it encourages you to eat healthier, since you'll have easy access to all of those yummy plants.


So farms that offer CSA programs are certified organic?

For the most part, yes. "Certified organic" is a pretty nebulous term, but even those CSA farms that aren't certified organic basically might as well be. Most such farms are committed to sustainable, environmentally-friendly, multi-crop farming techniques, in contrast to the wasteful single-crop techniques that the big conglomerates use. If you're a stickler for organic food, however, you should have no trouble finding a certified-organic farm near you that runs a CSA program.


How many people will a CSA membership feed?

Most CSA programs have at least an option for a "small" or "large" share - with the former feeding two people, and the latter feeding a family. Some also offer half-shares for you bachelors/bachelorettes out there.


How long does a CSA membership usually last?

The longest CSAs usually run from sometime in the spring (most often starting around Easter) to September or October. Or, in other words, from 20 to 30 weeks on average.


What kind of produce will I get in my CSA boxes?

Because farms that run CSAs grow seasonal produce, you'll basically get whatever's in season. In spring, except a lot of greens, as well as early-harvest veggies like asparagus and green peas. In summer, you'll get a lot of corn, tomatoes, squash and zucchini, and summer fruit and berries. When autumn rolls around, you can expect late-season squash, root vegetables, late-harvest greens, and autumn fruit like apples and pears.

If you're lucky enough to find a farm that specializes in things other than produce, you may get other goodies as well! The program that I signed up for promises farm-fresh eggs, local cheeses, and even honey in addition to the usual fruits and veggies.


Are CSA memberships limited to just produce?

Not at all! If you look hard enough, you can often find meat CSA shares as well. These will deliver a set amount of fresh-from-the-farm meat products on a few set days, usually later in the year. A meat CSA might, for example, give you several whole chickens, or several dozen pounds of beef, pork, or lamb, delivered in intervals through late summer and into the fall.


Sweet; I'm sold! How do I find out about a CSA program near me?

Simply Googling "csa in [your town or city]" will usually yield some productive results. Failing that, localharvest.org has a pretty comprehensive database of CSA programs. Farms should be just starting to make shares available at this time of year, and many offer discounts if you're an "early adopter," so there's no better time than now to get crackin'!


So, who else signed up/is planning to sign up for a CSA program this year? If you are, feel free to discuss the details and share some good programs with other goons in your area. I figure that, if this thread sticks around long enough, we can even compare notes on our weekly CSA boxes and share recipes and such.

Here's to fresh, local produce!