Community Supported Agriculture
Now is the time of year most farms that run CSAs are signing up shareholders. This will be my first year participating. As an avid farmers’ market shopper and supporter, I have always bought my locally grown produce there, and plan to continue getting my goat cheese, chicken, and baked goods from my favorite market vendors. However, I feel that in the current financial climate farmers need all the additional support we can give them. I chose my farm on three criteria: location (its in the town where I live), the opportunity to visit and/or volunteer at the farm, and where my dollars would help the most.
My choice is Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown Heights. At last check, they were still accepting applications to be a shareholder this year. They are having a volunteer day in their greenhouse next Saturday for CSA members all about seeding. Most importantly, starting a CSA program is a step for them toward becoming self-sustaining and not being vulnerable to county budget cuts.
Having some questions and curiosity about the CSA experience, I consulted Dara Mirsky. Dara lives in Briarcliff and writes the excellent blog Chick in the Kitchen. This will be her 5th year as a shareholder of Roxbury Farm. Like most CSAs in our area, they begin distribution in June. They offer vegetable and fruit shares (you must buy a veg share and then may add on the fruit share), and have a pick up site at Pace in Briarcliff. Last June, some of the weekly share included: red lettuce, scallions, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and arrowhead cabbage. Dara likes to use the cabbage to make various kinds of slaw, such as her Spicy Cabbage Slaw. Moving into July and August, shares contained peppers, tomatoes, and, according to Dara, the best corn she’s ever had. It’s so fresh she likes to use it raw, shaved off the cob, mixed into salads. The only complaint she relayed to me was that after last year’s survey revealed the majority of shareholders felt they got too many exotic greens, there will be less of them in the deliveries this year. She is dismayed a little by this (Dara likes her greens), but quickly added she respects that Roxbury is responding to its customers wishes.
Hudson Milk Company also offers what they call “market basket” to their customers. The produce comes from John Boy’s Farm in Pound Ridge. There are many other farms that deliver to shareholders that live in Westchester. I suggest you Google NY CSA and visit some sites to see which appeals to you.
Yorktown’s own Karen Symington Muendell is Chef/Owner of Serves You Right, Culinary LLC in Westchester. She caters, teaches and does public cooking demonstrations at area farmers’ markets.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.