CSAs are truly wonderful if you cook a lot, want a vegetable challenge, and want to be part of supporting sustainable agriculture in our area. If you decide you will cook with what the CSA gives you, and not buy other veggies elsewhere, it is pretty cost effective. But if you do a CSA plus shopping for little extras at the farmers market (or Giant) it will be much more expensive. I love my CSA (Gorman Farm in Laurel) and the quality is very good. Remember, though, that organic produce fresh from the field will look different than the food at Giant, and real organic food is not going to keep very long in your fridge, like the stuff from the supermarket does. Buying at the farmers market is fantastic - if that makes you happy, do it! CSAs are a bit of a niche for somewhat hard core food people...the farmers market is more accessible, and it is just as beneficial for the farmer.

We had a CSA last year that we hated - it started in June, so no early potatoes or spring peas, or early greens, for that matter, and just one week of strawberries - and they missed our delivery for that week. Tons and tons of yellow squash and potatoes, lots of rotting stuff... Probably not doing that again, at least not for a few years. I'll buy at the Farmer's Market.

The original idea behind a CSA was that there would be a connection between the farm and the buyer, and that paying up front would help the farm with its cash flow. A good CSA often provides unusual things but will also provide common items. We did a CSA two years ago, and cannot now remember the name, and it was terrible. Very small quantities and very poor quality, and unresponsive to complaints. They were clearly were just getting rid of things they could not sell. It is probably too late to sign up for most CSAs but do choose carefully, a good one is really good and a bad one, well, just a waste of money.

We go to Norman's CSA and I love it so much (writing this after having a wonderful garlic scapes risotto for dinner). We have many great choices every week and I have never seen a pest in anything I picked up. I would not like a CSA that chooses for you; I probably wouldn't eat many of the foods that were pre-chosen, but with Norman's you get a choice and that's what makes the difference for me.

Signed,
A former veggie hater

I am the pp who is with Spiral Path Farm. I have never had quality issues. The produce occasionally has some dirt but it's never filthy with bugs. Word of caution to someone looking for a new CSA--go with a farm that has been doing this for many years--the reason I have never had probs is because Spiral Path has been doing shares for 30 years. They know what's going to grow and what doesn't work in this area. Now everybody and their brother is doing it and some of these farms are just experimenting with your money, figuring out the whole subscription thing and how to deal with retail-level customers. Those are the ones that I suspect have made people unhappy.

Pps who have had problems with produce quality, which csa's did you join?

can anyone recommend a csa in the mclean area?

We did a CSA and while my son loved looking through the produce and was willing to try alot, the quality totally sucked. Food was rotten or almost rotten. We had the worst corn ever. And yet we felt it was too wasteful to buy good stuff. I think it's a good idea if you can find one that has good reviews.

I admit, we do not have the time or energy for farmers markets,somwevjust use the grocery store.