csorrento

Well, I went ahead and joined Great Country Farms. I'm very excited. I'm splitting a full share with someone at work and may split my half share with my upstairs neighbor if I have too much. Has anyone else joined a CSA yet for the 2008 season? I would like to discuss our experiences throughout the year like everyone did last year. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of good recipes, especially for greens.

Last year two of us split a one-person share at Bull Run. What we did, and I think it worked rather well, was to alternate weeks. Even though one may have gotten an abundance of bok choi one week, it evened out as hte other took home tons of squash the following week. At least that was the plan. We never really took home tons of anything; as mentioned, Bull Run was hit hard by the drought. Also: by alternating weeks, I could cook up CSA dishes one week and eat out the other week... and not feel guilty. When we did have "special" items, like a watermelon or honey, we would meet up later and divide the goodies.

More than likely, I would have been overwhelmed by a one share. As it was, I was quite freaked out by the quantity of produce in some of the biweekly baskets. But, I have learned to love pesto.

Just something to consider.

Thank you for your response. I'm very excited about this so hopefully it works out well. Maybe I should be looking for someone who wants to split a full share because there is a definite cost benefit to that. Anyone interested? I have a feeling trying to eat all of those vegetables from a half share may prevent me from spending money on eating out. That's always a good thing. Plus vegetables are so healthy how can you go wrong?

This is my first time to this website so I'm still learning the ins and outs. I noticed that there was a CSA thread where everyone gave ideas on how to cook the different vegetables. That would be a very helpful thing to do again for this season. I'm sure I'm going to get things that I have never even heard of.

Congrats on your first post! A timely question, indeed.

We did a half-share with Great Country Farms last year and were very happy. A 1/2 share was more than adequate for two of us, but I agree with Sam that it is impractical to split a 1/2 share. It really is not too much and you are always free to share your abundance. You will learn how to make and freeze soups to get through the produce sometimes; it can be a challenge, albeit a fun one. We ate some things we never tried before, learned a whole bunch of new recipies, and became better cooks. GCF delivers to our door which makes it the only real option for us. They are already taking sign-ups for 2008 and we have already submitted our application. Good luck.

I am also strongly considering joining a CSA this year. It seems like there are mixed feelings about them but I've always wanted to try one and I always end up missing out because they are full. I am trying to decide between Great Country Farms and Bull Run Farms. Does anyone have any advice? I'm also a single person so I'm afraid a half share may even be too much. If anyone is interested in splitting a half share let me know. I live in Oakton, VA. Thanks!

So, the wife and I are thinking of signing up for a CSA, specifically Great Country Farms.

Does anyone have any experience with a CSA share or with this particular farm? It sounds like an awesome idea.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, a CSA share entitles you to a certain amount of fresh produce from a local farm about once a week. There are a few in the area; some deliver and some you must pick up. Some also allow you to engage in a limited amount of "pick-your-own" activities in addition to the picked-up/delivered produce.