Bright Idea: The growing season is here, now is the time to sign up for a CSA!
By Marie Caspard
We have emerged from winter and the growing season is here! While time is flying, it is not too late to consider signing up for a CSA this summer.
CSA stands for community supported agriculture. It’s a system in which customers typically pay upfront for a “share” of farm produce throughout the growing season. This model helps connect customers more deeply and directly with local farmers and supports farmers’ early season expenses while guaranteeing them customers.
In my five years in Portland, I’ve had a CSA with three different farms: Dandelion Spring Farm, Phil’s Farm (sadly no longer operating in Maine), and Harvest Tide Organics. I have loved all three.
Here are some things to consider as you go about deciding whether to sign up for a CSA, and if so, which one. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the farm.
Share Size
CSA’s will typically offer a few different size shares for two-ish people up to a large family. If committing to eating produce each week sounds intimidating, you might want to try the smallest share to start. If you’re just one person, now is the time to link up with a friend or neighbor to share it!
Pickup Site
Make sure you understand the day, hours, location, and duration of your CSA pickup to ensure that it works for your schedule. Pickup sites in the greater Portland area are often at the farm, at local breweries, or in a person’s driveway/yard. Some bigger Portland area employers have organized CSAs for their employees with pickup sites at their offices.
CSA Choice
Depending on the specific farm’s CSA model, customer choice with regards to what goes into your share each week ranges from none to fully customizable. Some CSA’s will pre-package shares and just let customers know what’s in them, often via email. Make sure to research the farms you’re considering to get a sense of what might come in your CSA and if the farm uses the pre-packaged model.
Do they have any specialties? Are you interested in any non-produce offerings? For example, my Dandelion Spring Farm CSA sometimes included tinctures and prepared foods like pesto, which I found delightful, but might not be for everyone.
Recently, more farms have adopted systems with more customer choice, like pre-ordering systems or “free choice” at the pickup site. For example, Phil’s Farm would set up a farmer’s market style stand and let CSA customers pick out vegetables using a point system. My current Harvest Tide CSA has an online pre-order system that allows customers to edit their default order – and add to it – to their exact preferences before delivery day. At least, to the extent that their produce remains available.
Missing shares
Make sure you understand your CSA’s policy when it comes to missing a week’s worth of shares. Some CSA models use a point system and allow you to use those points when you’re back in town, while others allow you to delay and double up on shares when you get back. If doubling up on shares sounds intimidating, you should consider sharing your CSA with a neighbor or getting comfortable with some food preservation techniques like freezing, pickling, and jarring.
Here are a few non-exhaustive resources to help you find a CSA:
- LocalHarvest’s CSA listings: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/
- MOFGA’s Cumberland County CSA listing: https://mofgacertification.org/find-mofga-certified-organic-food-and-products/?_region=cumberland&_search_box=CSA
- CSAs participating in the Maine HarvestBucks program: https://www.maineharvestbucks.org/locations/csas
- Many farmers at the Portland Farmer’s Market also offer CSAs: https://www.portlandmainefarmersmarket.org/farmers
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome! FMI: Email Portlandclimateation@gmail.com or visit https://facebook.com/PortlandClimateActionTeam.
