Community Supported Agriculture Co Ops

[MoochNNoodles]

One of the big local orchard/farms has a co-op program I'm looking at joining this year.  A friend of mine joined last year and loved it!  You get locally grown, in season fruits and veggies once a week or once every other week.  You can also get free range eggs, free range turkey and local grass fed beef as add ons.  It looks like you get a good bit of food; though there are things that I've never cooked with so that would be different (not bad; just different). 

It's just over $30 per week or you can do every other week as well.  You have go go pick it up at one of their locations. 

It does look really good and I buy produce from their main store sometimes (it's a good drive away).  I'm just not sure if the price isn't steep.  Last year DH wasn't keen on the cost.  I'm not sure how much would come out of our grocery budget because I know we'll still want our usual's; bananas, grapes, lettuce, etc. 

Anyone participate in something like this?  

 

[peaches08]

I need to see if something like this exists in my area.  Depending on costs, I would love to do something like this.

 

[Winchester]

We don't have anything around here, at least I don't think so. I know Rick and I have often talked about trying to find one, just to get that variety of produce. It forces you to think outside the box a little bit and do some experimenting with food, which is always a good idea.

We do have an organic farmers' market in the area and I go there on Friday afternoons sometimes. The produce, the meats, and even the breads are certified organic. The bread baker makes a ciabatta that's out of this world good.  And last year, I had some of the best-tasting tomatoes in my life from a stall at that market. They were absolutely wonderful.

 

[AbbysMom]

We have a few of these in the area and I have considered it, but since I have a vegetable garden normally I didn't see the point. In peak season would I really want more cucumbers and tomatoes?

 

[mani]

It's interesting you bring it up, as one of my students has asked me if I'm interested in helping set up a local one.  There is a bigger one that covers a larger area of Brisbane.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We have a few of these in the area and I have considered it, but since I have a vegetable garden normally I didn't see the point. In peak season would I really want more cucumbers and tomatoes?

Thats a good point.  I lost so much last year that it wouldn't have made too much of a difference.  They say that its enough for a family of 4 for a week and it does look like you get a variety from the pictures.  The big downfall I see is that it isn't organic.  That seems hard to find around here.  Or I'm just not looking in the right places.