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."

Promised Land CSA

I did promised land a few years ago (2009) and I believe I posted pictures, etc on here.

I wanted to try a new CSA, so I signed up for Porter and Promised land and split each with someone else.

Promised Land appealed to me because they had a an interesting variety of vegetables and fruit I wouldn't be getting from Porter. I had the best asparagus and est blueberries I have ever tasted. However, the strawberries were often moldy when I got the vegetables home, I never got an salsify and we really don't eat as many potatoes as we were getting (not a lot) but the different colors were wonderful.

At the time, Promised Land was around the same price as Porter and my overall assessment was that I was getting less volume but fancier items. I thought the price for the volume was comparable to what things would cost at the farmers market so, I didn't renew.

When I decided I would do two shares this year, I went back to check out Promised Land again. A friend had posted a pictures of Romanesco Broccoli and I thought it was awesome. I went back to the Promised Land website and found out their price increase more than 50% when Porter Farms had increased 3% in that same time. They are sold out for the year, so folks must not mind.

I think Promised Land is great for folks who have a hard time keeping up with a normal sized share and don't frequent farmers markets. It saves you the trip but the prices aren't better. The produce is great but if you're looking at a CSA to save money, this isn't the one. If you want some interesting produce you might not find other places and support a local farm, go for it.

http://www.promisedlandcsa.com/

Porter Farms CSA - 5 Days left for Early Bird Discount!

This will be my fifth year subscribing to Porter Farms CSA.

Porter Farms give you a large volume of organic vegetables...mostly your every day produce that you would get a store. Their veggies are great and the CSA is the most affordable one I have seen in the area. It's a great for people who have never tried a CSA before.

In Buffalo, there are pick-up sites all over the city. You'll get your veggies every Saturday from a near by porch and once a season, you get to drive out the farm to pick up all the bags for your group. On this trip, you'll get to see the farm, their animals (sheep, etc) and usually load up on surplus veggies.

It's a great value...organic delicious local produce for less than what you would pay for non-organic stuff in the grocery store.

A share is $330 but if you pay by April 15, you save $20! The price has only gone up $10 since I have been a member. Other CSAs have doubled their prices in that time.

www.porterfarms.org

Porter Farms

Promised Land

CABBAGE, SWEET CORN, RED ONIONS, CUBENELLE PEPPERS, EGGPLANT (white and purple), BLUE POTATOES, TOMATILLOS

Porter Farms

Promised Land

Porter Farms, Week 4, July 18

I think this red lettuce was "fire lettuce." We also go a ton of green beans - split into two bags since I share this share. Also shown are zucchini, summer squash, onions, and that pale sputnik in the middle is a kohlrabi.

Porter Farms, Week 3, July 11

LOTS of lettuce, spinach, zucchini, summer squash, and onions. I miss getting all this lettuce.

Porter Farms, Week 2, July 4

This was lovely - I had never seen red onions with the greens still on them. Also pictured are a small bunch of spinach, lettuce, and beets.

Porter Farms, Week 1, June 27

Porter started a week later this year because of the crazy weather. In return, they will go a week late. That means I will be getting my last share in December!

This came in a brown paper bag that was filled to the brim with several kinds of lettuce.



I can't believe how bright the stems of this swiss chard was.



The lettuce this week was so beautiful - this is the lettuce I said reminded my of Rapunzel in my June 28 post.



These onions were enormous and I ate every bit of the green part - which was over two feet long. I was delicious chopped up and tossed in a taco salad (or 10 taco salads).

Catching up on Promised Land

Hey folks - I hope I didn't blow up your Google Reader.

I had lost the cord that connects my computer and camera and so while I have been diligently taking photos, I had not been posting. So now I am all caught up with Promised Land CSA. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I have enjoyed eating it. I hope to stay up to date from here on out.

Stay tuned for my Porter Farms catch-up. Don't worry, it's only about four weeks.


I'd like to apologize for my camera being kind of junky.

Promised Land, Week 10, July 23

THIS WEEK’S SHARE INCLUDES: 1 PT. BLUEBERRIES 2# ADIRONDACK BLUE POTATOES GREEN ONIONS CUCUMBER GREEN CELERY 1# EACH GREEN AND YELLOW BEANS ZUCCHINI YELLOW SQUASH

These blueberries were so delicious that I started eating them before I took the picture. I could barely stop myself from eating them all before getting the camera. They were incredible. They make every other blueberry I have ever eaten taste like dirt - and I enjoyed those blueberries at the time I ate them. I am spoiled for life and will eat no blueberries but these forever. I even e-mail the Oles to ask them what species they were. I am going to plant them in my backyard.

Promised Land, Week 9, July 16

THIS WEEK’S SHARE INCLUDES: 2# RED POTATOES GREEN ONIONS PARSLEY RED CELERY BEETS WITH GREENS ZUCCHINI YELLOW SQUASH CUCUMBER SPICY GREENS





And a close-up because who has ever seen red celery before? Made some tasty stuffing with this and with onions from Porter Farms.

Promised Land, Week 8, July 9

IN THIS WEEK’S SHARE: ZUCCHINI YELLOW SQUASH BUNCHING ONIONS KOHLRABI SWISS CHARD/CABBAGE SUGAR SNAP PEAS SHELLING PEAS

Promised Land, Week 7, July 2

THIS WEEK’S SHARE INCLUDES: SHELLING PEAS SUGAR SNAP PEAS SNOW PEAS GREEN ONIONS KOHLRABI STRAWBERRIES ZUCCHINI YELLOW SQUASH

Promised Land, Week 6, June 25

THIS WEEK’S SHARE INCLUDES: STRAWBERRIES SPINACH (APRX. 7OZ.) SUGAR SNAP PEAS SNOW PEAS SHELLING PEAS GREEN ONIONS GARLIC SCAPES

Promised Land, Week 5, June 18

I have never really eaten radishes. I mean I have but I always think of them as garnish, little roses, and never thought they tasted like anything. So, I tried to just cut them up and hide them in some falafel. These radishes were SOOO delicious! They were peppery and actually kind of tasted like bacon which - as a vegetarian - was a real treat. My husband loved them as well, and he is not Mr. Vegetable. We were both sad not to get them again.

THIS WEEK’S SHARE INCLUDES: ASPARAGUS (APRX 8OZ) ROMAINE RADISHES GARLIC SCAPES BUNCHING ONIONS STRAWBERRIES SWISS CHARD

Promised Land, Week 4, June 11

I don't know if I said this before, but the asparagus from Promised Land was truly the most delicious asparagus I have ever had, and by a large margin. I LOVE asparagus normally but I had no idea what I was missing. It was incredible and I miss it now that it is gone. Even my husband who normally will only eat super thin asparagus was all over this stuff. It really goes to show that local and fresh is 100x more delicious than anything we have ever known.

THIS WEEK’S PRODUCE INCLUDES: ASPARAGUS (APRX. 12 0Z.) 5 GARLIC SCAPES ROMAINE LETTUCE MERLOT HEAD LETTUCE 2 KOHLRABI

We're splitting the share with friends down the street. They picked up and I didn't get a picture. My bad.

Promised Land, Week 3, June 4

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES! APPROXIMATELY 1lb OF ASPARAGUS BIBB LETTUCE BLUSHED BUTTER OAKS LETTUCE AND SWISS CHARD.

At the time it seemed like a lot of lettuce, but I got into eating a ton of it every day and now I miss it.