What is a CSA?

If you don't know what "CSA" stands for, you're not alone. Even when I'm explaining the concept to people, I sometimes forget what the acronym stands for. CSA, in fact, stands for Community Supported Agriculture. What this means is that you support your local farms by buying a "share" of the produce for a season. By doing this, you are also sharing in the risks that come with farming -- poor weather, bugs, plant disease -- anything that might cut back on the harvest will affect your share of it. If it's a good year on the farm, you'll get more produce. If it's a bad year, you'll get less.

We signed up for the CSA at the Golden Earthworm, which is an organic farm located out east in Long Island. Once a week, for about 26 weeks, we pick up a box of produce at a central location in our town (Port Washington). What will be in the box varies according to what is in season. The farm has several pick up locations across Long Island -- we were fortunate to have a local and convenient pick up spot.

It wasn't easy to decide to join. We had to lay out over $500 for the season, and didn't know what sort of vegetables we'd be getting (or whether I'd be able to master cooking said vegetables). But Mark and I were very interested to try it, and we feel strongly that it's important to support your local farmers, ESPECIALLY organic ones, so we decided to take the plunge. Since Mark and Emily (my daughter) are vegetarians, and I'm mostly vegetarian, having a box of vegetables delivered each week seemed like something that would be beneficial.

Over the last couple of years, I've really come to love cooking and it seems like a great challenge to be confronted with a box of vegetables that I may never have tried before. Sort of like Iron Chef -- here's a box of strange leafy greens... come up with an interesting meal! I welcome the challenge.