Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Native Offerings CSA

This will be my first year doing Native Offerings CSA. I wanted to add an additional CSA to my longstanding Porter subscription. When I saw Promised Land had doubles in price since I tried it a few years, I decided to look elsewhere.

Anyway, @kanlam suggested I check out Native Offerings. NO was one of the first CSAs I ever looked into but when I found out they had a waiting list, I didn't really think about them again in the next five years...except when I got Porter Farms newsletters saying they traded onions to get us carrots from NO.

So...I went to their websites and checked out their prices. Everything looked good. They have three share sizes and, like Goldilocks, I thought the middle size would be just right. Te However, they were only accepting renewals from the existing members. I sent a message saying I wanted to join and waited to hear back.

A week or so later, I got an e-mail saying what day sign-ups would open on their website. I was really eager to join, so I wrote back and asked if it was start at midnights or sometime in the morning. I got a mass e-mail a few days later saying sign-ups were be at 8am.

I woke up early that day so I could be right at my computer thirty minutes early, just in case. I remembered the on-line class registration in grad school opening early and students who showed up on time were locked out of classes. I knew this was my chance to get in and once in, I would get to "renew" each year instead and not worry about getting locked out.

Well sign-ups started right on time. I got my veggie share and I added a fruit share. I look forward to keeping you all posted about the shares all summer long.

If you go to http://www.nativeofferings.com/ now, this is what you'll see on the registration page.

"We're sorry, we are at capacity for shareholders at the Buffalo and Amherst distribution sites. Vegetable and fruit shares can still be purchased for Orchard Park and on farm distribution points."

1 comment:

Aging Ophelia said...

I've wanted to do a CSA myself, and always come to it too late. At least the Kenmore Farmer's Market is close to me!

Peace, Mari