We are sorry to report that there will be no program for the summer of 2011. We intend to return for the 2012 season, so please check back for more information then. In the meantime, below is some information from the previous season. Thank you for your interest in Stone’s Throw CSA.
What vegetables can we expect in our shares for 2010?
We are planning to distribute the following crops:
asian greens, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, greens, kale, lettuce, onion, peas (snap and snow), peppers, potatoes, radishes, scallions, spinach, squash, winter and summer, tomatoes (cherry and slicing), strawberries, turnips.
How much produce will I get in my share?
How much produce you receive each week will vary by season; spring shares are usually smaller and summer and fall shares larger. As always, what you receive and how much is dependent on growing conditions. Our goal for 2010 is to provide $550 worth of produce to each share or an average of $30 per week based on 2009 produce prices. You will receive whatever produce is ready to harvest that week. If there are excesses, this will be distributed to you and if there are shortages, we will determine how best to fairly distribute items in short supply.
Is a CSA share right for me?
CSAs provide a very different eating pattern than buying from grocery stores. Eating in-season and locally-grown produce can mean a lot of one crop at a time over an extended period or just a taste of another crop. Since you don’t choose what goes into your box you need to be willing to be adventurous when it comes to new vegetables and menu planning. CSAs also work best for a family that cooks regularly.
If you don’t have a lot of time to cook every week, if there are more than a few produce items you don’t like, and if you’d rather be in control of what produce you get, then visiting a farmer’s market would probably be a better choice for you to get fresh produce and support local farms. Some of the growers for Stone’s Throw CSA also participate in local farmer’s markets.
What is this strange-looking item in my box? What if I don’t know what an item is and how to prepare it?
We focus on heirloom varieties when possible, as we feel this is an important part of growing sustainably. These varieties are known for their taste and superior nutrition (not necessarily their looks!) and some hold unique qualities such as being small or very large or having unusual coloring. If there is an unusual item or variety in a share, we will let you know through the newsletter or blog what items are and how to cook them. If you are still stuck, please contact us and we will be glad to help you.
How do you decide how what to plant for the number of shares you offer?
We use a spreadsheet developed by the very successful Brookfield Farm CSA located in Amherst, Massachusetts which allows us to project how much to plant for each crop to provide a given quantity of produce for our shareholders. This tool is widely used by CSAs in New England to help them plan their crop rotations and distribution. We also canvass other Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island CSAs to see how much produce they give out to their shareholders.
With this information we decide on a specific amount and time frame for each vegetable. But despite our best planning, the weather does what it will, and some crops may not establish well while others produce bumper crops. When possible we correct mid season by replanting a crop or planting an alternative that we feel might fare better given weather patterns of the season. As CSA members, you share in the risks and rewards of farming and both the excesses and the shortfall is passed along to you.
