CSA Box (Never Heard Of It Either?)

March 24th, 2008 at 08:16pm EatAspen.com 784

Last summer I started receiving a CSA (community supported agriculture) box from Paonia. I had never even heard of this before I became involved. You pay the farmers up front for future produce so they have money to grow the food. I paid for ten weeks of locally grown food and received whatever was abundant and in season. I received vegetables I had never eaten, or prepared, and a few I even had to look up their name! Always making the box of produce a little surprise.

It was enjoyable and saddening to eat with the seasons. I was always excited to see a new fruit or vegetable and also dismayed to learn that my favorite, cherries, were out of season. I picked up my box of surprises every Wednesday and by Sunday I was panicking that we had not eaten half of the box and another box would soon arrive! There were two of us trying to eat through a box of produce that allowed me to stop buying fruits and vegetables from the grocery store. I stopped spending my standard $70 at City Market, and started eating better while saving shopping time. Why hadn’t I done this sooner?

If you haven’t tried it, I’d give it a go. I use Lisa from NorthForkValleyFresh.com She is awesome to work with!! I can’t wait for this years CSA box to arrive. Let me know if you have every used community supported agriculture.

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Entry Filed under: Food, Aspen, Colorado, Pitkin County, Paonia, The West, Aspen Life Post, United Post