Colchester Farm CSA Week #8

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share program has started for the year. Check out Week #1, Week #2, Week #3, Week #4, Week #5, Week #6, and Week #7.

Our season runs for 26 weeks from June – November. I purchased a small share which means I get to choose 5 units each week during my pick-up. I happen to pick-up my share on Tuesday.

Here’s what I chose this week: cantaloupe, garlic, pickling cucumbers, mixed lettuce, and small yellow potatoes (and bonus hot peppers).

As part of my CSA cost analysis challenge, I’m visiting two local Kent County stores each week after my pick-up to compare prices of similar items. Here’s this week’s comparison:

Pretty large differences in cost this week. The biggest note is that neither store had pickling cucumbers, so I just used the price of regular cucumbers, but they’re not the same.

This is the time of year when there’s so much offered at the weekly pick-up. Here’s an example of pick-up notes sent to CSA members:

Potatoes were dug for this week’s pick-up! Potatoes are Johnny’s favorite so I knew I wanted to grab some of these.

More on the CSA

My CSA pick-up works this way: every Tuesday from 4-6 p.m., 1-2 people from Colchester (farm manager Theresa, or one of the apprentices) will set-up tables and produce with signs that indicate how much you can take of each item. Based on the share you purchased, you can take either 5 (small), 8 (medium), or 14 (large) different items.

If you live near Kent County, there’s still time to join, for a fall share, which runs 13 weeks.

I can’t wait to continue this project throughout the 26 week program!