Foodstand

etsummer 9yr I loved when I was a CSA member! The farm where I got my produce used to send out a newsletter with each basket, with a recipe and tips for using some of the not so well-known fruits and veggies, which was one of my favorite parts.

DietID_TeamDietitians 9yr I loved the csa when I was a part of it because it actually simplified food shopping and ensured I tried new things. But I did miss going to the farmers markets.

Georegulus 9yr Great photo

Georegulus 9yr My gf and I never got a CSA but loved getting a 'modified' csa where we could select what we's like. I know some people are really into getting a surprise though every time

lauren 9yr I love it! Saves time, money, and decision making. Plus I know I'm eating in season!

olivettefarm 9yr @etsummer that's great! I think a newsletter with recipes and tips is such a big help for CSA members. @Rachna that's a good point. What would you think of a CSA pick up at the farmers booth at market? @Georegulus that sounds cool. Was it a weekly custom basket?

olivettefarm 9yr @lauren awesome! I think that's what every farmer hopes to hear about their CSA :)

DietID_TeamDietitians 9yr Ohh @olivettefarm pick up at the farmers market is an awesome idea. Then I can still get additional items when I go for my share. Do you face any challenges selling out your csa??

JenniferEmilson 9yr I can see advantages to both. But in the end, I like the idea of being able to pick based on my mood! The idea of @Georegulus where you could pick what you wanted is great. But the surprise factor forcing you to try something new sounds great as well. Am I flip flopping?!

mirasingh 9yr Never tried a csa because somehow I always miss the deadline. Is there any schedule or alert I can sign up for so I don't miss it this year?

SimplySeema 9yr I like getting a variety of veggies from CSA and then go pick up anything additional I wanted at the farmers market. :)

olivettefarm 9yr @rachna it can be challenging to sell CSA shares if you're a new farm or trying to add a lot more shares to your program. Moving to Asheville and starting this new farm has made it much more challenging than it was in Atlanta where we were well established and had a good CSA base.

olivettefarm 9yr @JenniferEmilson it's ok to flip flop! We did a custom order farmstand CSA once at my old farm. Customers enjoyed it, but it was just too much for us to keep up with on top of the CSA. @mirasingh not that I know of, best way is to find a farmer at market that you like and ask them or check their website to see if they have a CSA. Sign ups are happening now for pretty much everyone. @SimplySeema that's great! I know of a lot of veggie lovers that do the same.

Yfalkson 9yr Honestly, it can be hard to make good use of even a half share for some people. I think that concern for wasting can lead people to cancel their csa the next year. Anyone making an Uber for CSA's yet? Or a partnership with fresh direct?

DietID_TeamDietitians 9yr @olivettefarm so good to know about the challenges. Hopefully as this community grows in Asheville, you'll have a simple way to find customers for your CSA.

DietID_TeamDietitians 9yr @Yfalkson check out @localrootsnyc it's sort of a hybrid csa. And also @Farmigo let's you order what you want each week from a bigger pool.

Yfalkson 9yr Will do! Thank @Rachna

clearstatic 9yr I love CSA's too. I've bought shares from Hawthorne valley farms for two years now and love knowing my veggies are biodynamic (I haven't found any certified Demeter produce in Manhattan or Brooklyn) Makes cooking easy and consistent

olivettefarm 9yr @clearstatic awesome! Very cool you found a biodynamic CSA farm. @rachna yes! Asheville is full of folks that would love Foodstand :)

annefood 9yr I would love to join a CSA but we travel too much for it to make sense. Based on what I've heard from friends (particularly those who aren't experienced in the kitchen) their CSA is their most helpful meal planning tool and ensures diversity in their meals. Otherwise they would continue to buy the same things they're used to.

tinabeans 9yr Like the idea of CSAs, don't love how hard it is to join one in NYC (waiting lists galore) and having to go somewhere weekly to pick it up. Also, one year in Boston we got like a month solid of turnips! Don't wanna be a hater but man that was trying ;)

unconventionalbaker 9yr I have had a mixed experience with CSAs. I think you can be great or not depending on your circumstances and how well they're organized. At my old house the CSA was amazing -- really good variety, a lot of local stuff, and I was able to put most things to use (that said I'm pretty not picky and am happy to cook with whatever I have on hand. You have to be flexible for that sort of thing to work for you). I tried out a CSA at my new house and it was really not good. The selection was not local, and most of the things in the box were the same brands as the local supermarket, and the price wasn't great -- no savings. So no gain no matter how you slice it... So really depends on how well they're organized and how flexible you are with your menu.

sugardetoxme 9yr @olivettefarm in New York, there's been some great partnerships with cross fit studios, yoga locations and lululemon acting as pick up spots. Could be great for partnerships and telling your story / doing cooking demos.

tinabeans 9yr PS If only there were some centralized CSA signup and delivery service to aggregate all the individual small farms... anyone want to start one? Hehe

sugardetoxme 9yr I know that's not what you asked in particular @olivettefarm but it came to mind since I know you just moved to Asheville!

Georegulus 9yr It was a bit more like @localrootsnyc

DietID_TeamDietitians 9yr @tinabeans I ended up signing up via @farmigo bc they had regular csa' plugged into their platform. So I found Corbin hill though their site, had a simple sign up and no waiting list. It's not perfect, but some of these csa aggregators are making it easier. And @unconventionalbaker - that is such a bummer to hear. I wish there was some authority where you could report that kind of thing :(

olivettefarm 9yr @sugardetoxme those are great ideas! We're actually partnered with a local gardening store, but I think yoga and fitness studios are a great idea! Need to look into that. @unconventionalbaker sorry to hear about your second CSA experience. That's unfortunate. If you find yourself visiting Asheville I'll be sure to get you some good veggies from our farm :)

unconventionalbaker 9yr @olivettefarm aw, that's sweet of you. Wish I could. And yeah, it's to bad this one is not well organized. Would have been awesome otherwise. I loved the last one so I definitely think they're a great way to go. Just good to check them out first I guess so you know what you're signing up for...

unconventionalbaker 9yr @rachna yeah, it is too bad. Though I suppose the lack of regulation can also be a good thing because it allows the people who do it well a lot of freedom with their choices of how to operate and what to include. I can just imagine a regulatory body stepping in with restrictions because of a few "rotten apples" and spooling the fun for the rest who do it well...

DietID_TeamDietitians

DietID_TeamDietitians Does "thinning" In farming mean the same thing as "thinning" when you get a haircut? Maybe a dumb question, but I don't know!

olivettefarm

olivettefarm @Rachna pretty similar! Sometimes when we seed in the greenhouse we accidentally drop multiple seeds into a cell. There's not enough room in each cell for multiple seeds to grow healthy before...

DietID_TeamDietitians

DietID_TeamDietitians Ohh so interesting!!!! I can't wait to come down to visit

DietID_TeamDietitians

DietID_TeamDietitians toppings for a sandwich for sure. Also - wait till you see our new stickers =)

olivettefarm

olivettefarm @Rachna can't wait to see them!

sugardetoxme

sugardetoxme Baby got Bok? 😝

JenniferDoscher

JenniferDoscher Awww Do they get lullabies at night? 😊💖 Maybe "God's Chorus" of crickets, by Jim Wilson?

DietID_TeamDietitians

DietID_TeamDietitians Yay!!!

olivettefarm

olivettefarm @JenniferDoscher haha - yep! Bedtime stories every night. Gotta keep them happy.

unconventionalbaker

unconventionalbaker Gorgeous 🌱

What are your thoughts on CSAs?