Strategies for Managing My Weekly CSA

Notes from a 2015 CSA Member
​Being a CSA member is the most effective step I’ve taken toward healthy eating. 
​Managing the box makes healthy eating much easier for me, because I organize meals around a box of fresh organic vegetables 32 weeks a year.  I don’t need to spend time wandering around the produce aisle searching for well-priced, delicious-looking produce, many times in vain. Instead, each week I’m treated to a wonderful treat when I open up my CSA box of luscious-looking vegetables of the most amazing variety.
 
I’ve heard some folks lament they don’t know what to do with a supply of fresh vegetables every week. There are several strategies I use to help me get the most enjoyment from my CSA and use every bit so nothing goes to waste.
Plan my meals around the box. When I receive the weekly email with a list of what’s to come or open the box at home, I make a list of what I can make with the ingredients (e.g. egg plant parmesan,  Greek tabuli with cucumber, tomato and basil, black bean chili). I follow this direction for the week.

​Don’t go to the grocery store until after I pick up my CSA box. This way I’m not tempted to buy things I don’t need. I save money and avoid waste by focusing on the healthy food I already have in hand.

Cook a lot of different dishes at one time. Then I store them in the fridge for ready- to-eat meals later in the week. I freeze any extra for a winter day when I’m longing for some healthy vegetables. Freezing extra vegetables is much easier than I ever imagined.  It’s a great way to extend the season all year long.

Cook the leafy greens at the first opportunity. This way they’re not wilting in my fridge or taking up a lot of room. This also makes them immediately available to consume for an easy, healthful lunch or dinner.  

Search for recipe ideas. When faced with an ingredient I’m not familiar or looking for a new way to prepare an old standby, I use the plentiful resources available at www.root5farm.com/recipes.
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Share with friends. I invite friends for dinner to enjoy the harvest, and send them home with a welcome gift of an organic vegetable sample. When visiting a friend, I bring a sample of fresh vegetables in a nice bag, instead of a bottle of wine or other typical house gift.

How to Get the Most out of your CSA Membership

We've come up with a few concepts that will help you have an excellent experience as a CSA member this season:

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Familiarize yourself with what grows when.
Many of us have gotten so used to grocery store shopping that we don't know what month local tomatoes ripen or how to best store vegetables once we get them back to our kitchens. If you're new to seasonal eating, it's a good idea to get familiar with what kinds of foods to expect when, so you can pace your anticipation. Also, check out our recipe pages from time to time for new ideas on how to prepare vegetables that may be unfamiliar. 

We do our best to keep you in the loop prior to each delivery about what to expect in your next share. However, occasionally we need to make last minute substitutions because of quantities available due to weather conditions, pest pressures, or other variables that are out of our control. We ask for your flexibility and trust that we are working our hardest to get you the best quality vegetables each week. ​
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Make peace with visits to the produce aisle.
Most CSA members supplement their CSA box with a few items from the produce aisle, as many families want to eat more fruit than is provided in their box, or find they need something special to make a particular recipe work. Most people find themselves eating a wider variety of vegetables with a CSA, but if you find yourself missing some of what you're used to getting at the supermarket, by all means supplement.
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Read the policies.
Each CSA operates a little bit differently when it comes to vacation policies, and pick-up procedures, and credits. Part of being happy with your CSA is understanding the way things work. Get familiar with our CSA policies here. 

Get to know your farmers and the farm.
We really appreciate CSA members who look beyond the food and become interested in the farm itself. We love when our members ask us about the people who work on the farm, the culture of the farm, how the work is done here, and what it's like for those who do it. We welcome visitors any day of the week. Just give a call or send an email to make an appointment. We'd be happy to give you a tour of our fields, greenhouses, and wash station. 

We want to hear your feedback.
The contents of our boxes are guaranteed. If for any reason, you're dissatisfied with the quality of an item, we happily offer replacements. We take pride in the freshness and quality of the vegetables we grow and deliver to you. Since we're dealing with highly perishable items, there's bound to be spoilage at one time or another. We invite members to give us feedback right away if something is amiss.