Is a CSA right for you?
Thanks to guest blogger and intern, Olivia Eliadis for her work on this blog and supporting social media posts.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a network of local farms that offer community members deliveries of fresh, seasonal produce and farm products on a subscription or membership basis. This allows consumers to buy local, seasonal produce directly from the farmers rather than a grocery store. Farmers often offer “shares” which are boxes of produce and farm products that vary in size, based on your household size or how frequently you cook. Many CSAs are accepting new members for spring and summer produce now!
Benefits
A big benefit to participating in a CSA is you get very fresh produce and other farm products that likely contain more nutrients than grocery store produce that was picked days or weeks in advance and was transported long distances. My favorite benefit of joining a CSA is that you get exposed to new foods that you may not normally choose to purchase. It can be an interesting challenge to prepare these new foods and to try new dishes!
CSA membership also allows you to to develop relationships with farmers and directly support members of your local community. Buying local produce is also better for the environment as less transportation is required from farm to plate.
Drawbacks
While CSA is an amazing source of local produce, they’re not a good fit for everyone. If you’re contemplating joining a CSA this spring, consider some of the potential drawbacks.
You need to be ready to use your shares so you don't get backed up with produce from your weekly boxes and create waste.
Sometimes the contents of your share may be unexpected and you may receive something you don’t like.
Some CSA’s require volunteer work to become a member.
If you don’t pick up your share you may not get a refund since shares are typically purchased in advance.
A few of our favorite CSA programs
Anne Arundel county:
Floating Lotus Farmstead- pickup or home delivery
Baltimore county:
One Straw Farm - home delivery
Zahradka Farms- home delivery
Anne Arundel county:
Floating Lotus Farmstead- pickup or home delivery
Charles county:
Zekiah Farms, LLC- pickup and home delivery (varies)
Search for CSA in your county in Maryland!
References