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community supported agriculture 
Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 23:08:07 PM PST
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This week, I had an inspiration. I spoke to Stacey of BK Farmyards in Brooklyn, NY. They run a CSA program out of people's backyards in New York City. What a great idea! If she can do it, why not me? So I sent out an email asking for a guinea pig. Who would offer up their yard for me to farm it? The homeowner would pay a price like a real CSA, except it would be less expensive because they were donating the land. A woman responded and I met with her Wednesday. Then a few friends responded that they had a similar idea to start a CSA program out of backyards, and perhaps we could work together. Awesome! Maybe I can turn Flower Power Farm into a reality! So here's what happened...
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There's More...
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Comments, 2715 words in story)
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Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 12:30:26 PM PDT
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I've had mixed luck with CSAs and sometimes I'm not even all that good at eating local thing, just because I'm not the world's greatest cook. I go to the farmers' market every weekend and sometimes I just don't buy that much because I can't figure out how to cook it. I had a phase earlier this year where I wasted several eggplants because each week I'd buy one, planning to cook it, and then I'd keep it in the fridge for several weeks, procrastinating because I didn't know how on earth to cook an eggplant.
Then I met Patrick. He's a chef. I learned pretty early on in the relationship that his cooking skills absolved me of any responsibility of knowing what the hell to do with the produce I brought home. So I'll show up with a bag full of stuff, and Patrick produces a week of brilliant meals with it. This week I figured I'd share a few of those meals on the blog, for other interested eaters :)
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Comments, 317 words in story)
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Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 17:00:00 PM PDT
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I have never bought into a CSA, although I'm thinking about doing so next year. My problem is mainly lack of transportation (and carrying capacity) out to far-flung pickup points, and the fact that I live alone and don't think I'd be able to use all that I received. Of course, I'm a strong supporter of the model and definitely believe that it's one of the solutions to fixing our food system. So I'm looking into it now, potentially planning ahead for next year - and I stumbled across this article from the Ashland (OR) Daily Tidings, about a new CSA operation in Southern Oregon from one person's half-acre home garden -
"We've geared our CSA shares for one to two people," he says. "Everybody wanted a half-share."
[...]
McGuire says part of the CSA's mission is promoting small, local farming on a personal level. Shareholders won't just receive newsletters with tips and recipes; they'll also be invited to gatherings at McGuire's Clay Street home, including a cider-pressing party in the fall. Picking up their boxes every week, subscribers can see the intimate workings of the garden and even gather a few more herbs, McGuire says.
Sounds like something I'd definitely go for! And again, I must ask - what exactly is stopping us from turning abandoned municipal properties, and maybe even corners of large public parks, into projects like this?
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