Gardening: CSA (aka, farm share)

This isn't really a gardening post, but I really didn't want to make another category. I just wanted to say how pleased I am with the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) at Simmons Farm. If you have the cash and the opportunity to enroll in one of these programs, I highly recommend it. This is especially true if you love fresh vegetables and don't have the time and/or the ability to grow your own.

If you are unfamiliar with how they work, it's pretty simple. You pay a farm a certain amount before the season begins. The farmers plant vegetables, knowing that they are already sold. You show up on a certain day at a certain time and pick up the farm fresh, locally grown produce, take it home and eat it. The only potential downside is a bad year for the farm means less vegetables for you. This year, for instance, we got no broccoli because the 3000 plants they planted didn't produce. This week, we only got small heads of lettuce because the goats got into the lettuce patch and destroyed it.

All said, we have certainly been getting our money's worth. I plan to do it again next year, and I know Erin's parents are probably going to do it too. We will just have to make sure we sign up early because they cut it off this year, so we want to make sure we get in.