Here are a few general tips for being a good CSA member:
- To keep your share as fresh as possible pick it up as early as possible, remove all of the items from the bag, turn the bag inside out to make sure you got everything and hang it to dry (this also helps us keep them clean), and if you don’t plan on using the items right away store them appropriately (more tips on that below).
-If you can’t pick up your share let a friend pick it up for you, or let me know and I’ll donate it before it wilts. During the summer and fall I can also switch pick up days for you with advance notice.
-Check the blog to find out what’s in the share and for tips on how to use it. Sometimes there are special stories and farm news there as well
-Keep in touch and let us know about any problems, or even better, things you really like! We also take constructive criticism and new ideas with great interest.
-Bring back your empty bag every week, or you can remove items from the bag when you pick them up and transfer them to your own bag, leaving the farm bag behind. This is an important one, otherwise we run out of bags to pack shares in.
Here are a few more options for CSA members:
-Come out and visit us on a work day. I’ll give you a tour of the farm and show you how your food is being grown.
-I’ll send out announcements for on farm events during the season, such as open houses, potlucks, and possibly a cider pressing in the fall. Let me know if you’d like more of these kinds of events to get to know the farm, farmers, and other CSA members.
Tips on keeping produce fresh:
-In general refrigerators dry out food, causing greens to wilt and fruit and roots to get rubbery. The cold is good, but keep the humidity high with damp cloth wraps inside plastic bags, or containers. A little water is ok, too much water will cause mildew and mold with longer storage.
-There are a few vegetables that keep better flavor without cold, such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.
-Winter vegetables keep much better than summer vegetables as a general rule.
-If you have questions on particular vegetables ask, I have lots of experience in this area.
