To get good value from your share and make the most of your CSA experience you should:
- Have a desire for fresh locally grown organic veggies and to have a relationship with your farmer.
- Want to feed your family fresh, wholesome food that really TASTES GOOD! If you’re OK with the cardboard flavored tomatoes and bland lettuce at the supermarket then a CSA membership is not for you.
- Be a flexible and adventurous home chef that likes to try new things. Also have a very short, "I don't eat that" list! Your household members should eat a wide variety of veggies or at least be willing to try them. Also, you should cook fairly regularly to use your box contents or be willing to freeze or preserve for later.
- Open and read your email from the farm every week as email is how the farm communicates with the members.
- Understand that a CSA is not intended to provide the cheapest possible source of vegetables. CSA's provide numerous benefits and advantages over traditional produce shopping. If your needs are for the lowest priced veggies there are many opportunities for those types of purchases, a CSA membership is not one of them.
- Understand that during certain times some Jersey vegetables aren’t in season and you’ll have to supplement those from out of state sources at the supermarket. Also know that each season is different and sometimes crops we planned on don’t produce well while others over preform.
If you really love cooking and you really value taste, then you will LOVE being in a CSA. Because CSA's are all about providing high-quality, artisan vegetables that make your home dining experience feel like an event.
