This is the second year I’ve gone to the organic plant sale at Crown Point Ecology Center (in Bath, Ohio) I love their unique varieties of plants, which some are heirloom and others hybrids. Plus they have plant-related demonstrations, food, and a kids play area. Sorry I didn’t mention it last week, but you can mark the calendar for May of next year.
I was really interested in their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, but there’s a minimum one-year waiting list. I like the idea of being a part of the farm I get my food from. Members help anywhere from 1-10 mornings per year with farm work, and they can pick up food weekly or bi-weekly. They invest in the farm & experience the risk of a good or poor growing season. Plus a portion of the produce is donated to the local food bank.
Since this CSA has a waiting list, does anyone recommend other ones in the area? Or are there interesting aspects of your local CSA? I want to join one mainly to experience the community aspect of it, but also to get more gardening experience.
I’ve been looking into CSA in the Cleveland area and have heard that City Fresh is good, and it’s pay as you go, which I like. They have pickup locations in the Akron area as well. They start sometime in June. We will be trying them this year.
cityfresh.org
I belong to one in Marshallville that I really like, but that might not really be in your area. Try http://www.localharvest.org. You can put in your zip code and find CSAs near you. Most start in June but mine has already given us two shares for this season!
The Plain Dealer recently did an article on CSA’s. Here is a link to a listing of CSA’s in NE Ohio:
http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2009/03/community_supported_agricultur.html
Another thing about CSAs- you often have to sign up in February to be a part of the shares. The sign-up $ is sometimes how farmers fund their plantings for the year. And even in the cases when they don’t use that $ for planting, the CSAs fill up quickly.
I’ve tried to sign up three years in a row for a CSA in the area and never made it in time! Instead I buy most of my produce from the Dunkler’s Farm stand around the corner from my house. It’s not organic, but it is about as local as I can get.
It is listed on this site:
http://www.ohioproud.org/searchmarkets.php