Tried a local CSA share after swearing it was overpriced, now I get it

My neighbor kept pushing her farm share on me for years. I always figured I could just grab produce cheaper at Dave's or the West Side Market. Finally gave in last June and signed up for a half share at $22 a week from a place out in Medina. First few boxes felt like a lot of weird greens I didn't know how to cook. But by August I was actually eating vegetables I'd never tried before like kohlrabi and those little purple potatoes. The quality just blows away what you get at the store. Everything lasts twice as long in the fridge too. Has anyone else on the west side had luck with a specific CSA near Cleveland?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby30814d ago

Give the farm a call and ask if they do an optional "extras" box for a few bucks more. I did that with a CSA out in Oberlin and got things like honey and fresh eggs that made the whole thing way more worth it. Also, don't sleep on just asking the farmers for prep tips, they usually have good simple recipes for those mystery greens.

keith26414d ago

Funny enough, the extras box idea works for protein too if your farm does meat shares or something. @abby308, the prep tips thing is spot on, but I'd add this: ask them what they're planning to harvest next week. That way you can sort of meal plan around what's coming, which helps a ton with the mystery box problem. Most CSA folks are happy to share that info if you ask nicely, and it makes the whole thing way less stressful.