Cane Creek Organics CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Weekly CSA box from Cane Creek Organics

The first time I heard about Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA), or the concept of subscribing to a weekly box of vegetables during the growing season, I was skeptical.  Really? You can’t just go to a specialty produce store and get the best produce from the area? Then I moved away from Southern California and it’s many conveniences (including Plow Boys market in Fountain Valley).  The move also opened my eyes to how my convenient lifestyle left my exposure to “the bounty Mother Earth provides” very limited; pathetic even. I was a tomato, asparagus, bueberry & banana addict.  Nutritious? Yes.  Tasty? Yes.  Exciting week after week? No.

For the 2010 season, I decided to embrace the wonders of greens, heirloom tomatoes and okra.  Using an analytical calculation, I explored what CSA's had to offer, as well as the concept of organics and what it really means to spend a little more to get something with more bite-for-bite satisfaction, produced using sustainable methods.  If you still deem organics as inefficient, extravagant and even unnecessary, get with the program.  If you are on a budget, joining an organic CSA is a way to help ensure you get a diverse sampling of foods at a set cost.

For $24/ week, I was able to subscribe to a box of veggies that covered my family of two adults, one toddler and a next door neighbor (who shared with us, bringing our cost to $16/week).  Think that is too much to spend on produce each week? Then you are probably not eating enough!  The USDA guidelines say women should be eating approx 2.5 cups of vegetables and 1.5 cups of fruit daily. For men it is more. That equals 28 cups of produce per woman, per week.  Just try to match the CSA's variety and volume of produce (fresh, so it actually still contains the nutrients you are seeking) for less at the grocery store. And forget about the specialty grocers!

In WNC, we are so fortunate to live in a location with the highest per capita number of family farms in the country.  There are an average of half a dozen CSA’s you can choose from within a ten mile radius of your home.  With so many choices, you may wonder how to narrow the selection.  Well here are the attributes I looked for in my selection process…

• Number of Members
• Number of Years
• Distance of Farm
• Distance of Pick-Up Location
• Growing Methods
• Produce Included
• Number of Weeks
• Payment
• Alternative Buying Options
• Other products offered

Since I had no first hand recommendations to go by, I chose to look at the three CSA’s closest to me, with the largest scale production and longest history; however, I also recommend considering small scale farms, if you have the opportunity to talk to other members or meet the farmers themselves.

In the end, I chose the FDA certified organic farm, with the farmers I had previously met, even though the price tag was the steepest and the length of the season was the shortest.  This family had the longest history of farming and could offer lower fat meats with my order.  I did bemoan missing a weekly subscription for flowers, but I’ve always got Fisher Branch Flower Farm at the Asheville City Market.

Cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, parsley, yellow squash and peas are some of the weekly box.

During the 23 week season, I’ve made some of the best greens I've ever tasted. Just some of the things we've sampled: broccoli, basil, three different cabbages, two different mustard greens, Swiss chard, multiple kales, romaine, green and red lettuces, radishes, spring onions, acorn squash, blueberries, spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, heirloom tomatoes, okra, string beans, corn and tons of new potatoes. 

The decision to join a CSA was one I do not regret and I, in fact, enjoyed immensely.  

• The pros: try new foods, learn new recipes, eat the freshest most nutritious and flavorful foods, guarantee you will incorporate these new foods in your diet or feel terrible about throwing them away & explore the countryside or City Market on your pick-up day (We especially enjoyed picking up at the City Market on Saturdays. Lots to see!).
• The cons: if you travel a lot, you'll miss your box or have to give some away, you may get intimidated by the variety of vegetables and need more time to plan meals.