CSA season is coming!

CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture) are fantastic. You get weeks of fresh, local veggies and barely have to hit the grocery store if you play your cards right. However, there are some challenges with the CSA season.

As I go into my 5th year of Red Earth Farm CSA bliss, I’d like to address the emotions that go along with a CSA season.

Stage I: relief for CSA Signup Time

January: In the midst of winter, you haven’t tasted a flavorful tomato in months.

The dark period is interrupted by CSA sign-up time when you get to pick your fav CSA provider. You can finally look forward to months without paying $8/pound at Whole Foods for veggies.

…until you realize that you have to grocery shop & meal plan because your CSA doesn’t actually start until May/June.

stage 2: excitement for CSA Season beginning!

Fast forward.

Spring finally arrives, and you get your first batch of CSA veggies. Lettuce! Kale! More greens!

You’re eating soooo healthy because you can only eat 8 salads each day.

stage 3: Greens Exhaustion

After a few weeks of salads, you’re starting to get a little bored of leafy greens and are wondering if you can continue to see another piece of kale. Let’s be real: you want to throw kale across the room.

stage 4: newfound hope for New veggies!

As mid-summer hits, your CSA box has variety! Red tomatoes! Purple eggplant! Golden beets! Orange carrots!

You’ve been eating SO many local, organic veggies that you decide to sign up for a marathon.

stage 5: self-doubt – the CSA halfway point

Somewhere in the midst of summer, you realize that you have vacations planned, and your fridge has leftovers from the past 2.5 weeks of your CSA season. You have no idea how you’re going to deal with alllll these vegetables for another few days, let alone months.

But then, you remember you have a freezer, mason jars, and soup recipes. Many soup recipes. Life. Saver.

stage 6: revamping your Fall excitement

Now that you’ve successfully survived the summer season, it’s time for Fall. Leeks, squashes & kale once again rule your CSA box and overtake your fridge.

You start going through squash recipes like it is your job. Squash boats, pies, soups, and salads begin to overtake your life. You’re starting to resent anything that ends in “squash”, regardless of shape or size.

Soon enough, your CSA is wrapping up for the season.

Stage 7: Victory as Your CSA ends for the season.

Now that you’re finished with more veggies than you can look at each week, you decide to binge on all the unhealthy foods you’ve avoided for 6 months out of sheer capacity:

Regardless of how good those pizza & nachos taste, one thing is sure: you can’t imagine how you went through life without a CSA before. Also, you can’t wait to start your CSA season again next year!

Readers, have you gone through the phases of a CSA? What’s your favorite / worst part of the season?

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher