Officially marking my hippie-dom, I signed up for my first summer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share today. Twenty-one weeks of veggies and fruits, and a bi-weekly dozen eggs, from a farm south of Chicago delivered to the farmer's market down the street mid-June through mid-October. Anyone else take part? Not a bad deal, four months of fruits, vegetables and eggs for $650, plus it will force me to try new stuff I probably wouldn't buy at the store.

I am not familiar with this. It sounds interesting though.

My sisters runs one hahah it's actually an interesting story. She went Denison University for French and History degrees, then went to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, only to get cancer at 25 from exposure to farm chemicals. She beat it, and decided to become an organic farmer.

She is now the owner of Sage Organics outside Toledo, OH and does CSA's. It's like $400 for a half-share CSA every week which comes with a whole bunch of organic shit and pasture-raised eggs. She's sorta become a Farmers' Market celebrity with a cult following of customers who are really into vegetables that actually taste like something. Plus she's a trained chef (from the CIA, no less haha) so she gives advice on things to cook and try out and whatnot. It's actually sorta neat, we built a greenhouse last winter and will build another in the fall when I'm home from school.

So if anyone in Toledo likes going organic or has an interest pasture-raised eggs, chicken, pork, or turkey (only in November). She's your gal.

http://www.sageorganicsohio.com/

I've never talked to a person that did a CSA and regretted it.

I Wear Pants;739608 wrote:I've never talked to a person that did a CSA and regretted it.

You've obviously never met Jefferson Davis..

Tobias Fünke;739622 wrote:You've obviously never met Jefferson Davis..

Indeed!

Tobias Fünke;739622 wrote:You've obviously never met Jefferson Davis..

Oh, snap!

Tobias Fünke;739622 wrote:You've obviously never met Jefferson Davis..

I half lol'd.

Tobias Fünke;739590 wrote:My sisters runs one hahah it's actually an interesting story. She went Denison University for French and History degrees, then went to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, only to get cancer at 25 from exposure to farm chemicals. She beat it, and decided to become an organic farmer.

She is now the owner of Sage Organics outside Toledo, OH and does CSA's. It's like $400 for a half-share CSA every week which comes with a whole bunch of organic shit and pasture-raised eggs. She's sorta become a Farmers' Market celebrity with a cult following of customers who are really into vegetables that actually taste like something. Plus she's a trained chef (from the CIA, no less haha) so she gives advice on things to cook and try out and whatnot. It's actually sorta neat, we built a greenhouse last winter and will build another in the fall when I'm home from school.

So if anyone in Toledo likes going organic or has an interest pasture-raised eggs, chicken, pork, or turkey (only in November). She's your gal.

http://www.sageorganicsohio.com/

I live in Toledo and may try this out. Sounds interesting.

Tobias Fünke;739622 wrote:You've obviously never met Jefferson Davis..

Well played but I don't think he regretted it.

The first time I did a CSA, I was living in Cleveland. We paid $340 for a full season because I volunteered on the farm, usually it's around $500. Includes fruits, veggies, eggs and turkey for thanksgiving. In Brooklyn the CSA i'm apart of is $650 and includes herbs. Good stuff, i'd definitely recommend it.

Tobias, that is awesome that your sister runs one. Coming from CIA I bet she's one HELL of a cook as well. Best of luck to her!

Tobias Fünke;739590 wrote:
http://www.sageorganicsohio.com/

Is there a store in Genoa and what are the hours?

never heard of something like this. i dont eat much fruit, vegetables, or even eggs for that matter. do you think you normally spend $650 on those 3 things over 4 months?

If I shopped at a traditional grocery or a place like Walmart, I'm betting I'd be spending less on produce/eggs for that time period but I tend to shop at Whole Foods, so yeah, I'm probably around there. Plus I like the idea of knowing the person who's growing my food. Definitely not for everyone, but I'm excited - not just for the experience of getting "fresh" produce, but being able to experience seasonality in my produce and learning to cook with what can be grown depending on season.

Pick6;739803 wrote:never heard of something like this. i dont eat much fruit, vegetables, or even eggs for that matter. do you think you normally spend $650 on those 3 things over 4 months?

You're going to die.

dwccrew;739674 wrote:I live in Toledo and may try this out. Sounds interesting.

Sonofanump;739795 wrote:Is there a store in Genoa and what are the hours?

No store, she operates out of our house/farm. I know that she goes to the Toledo Farmers' Markets on Sundays and Perrysburg Farmers' Market on Thursdays in addition to the CSA's. In fact she makes most of her money that way I believe. I don't think either market are running this time of year, but the Toledo market has a winter one on Sundays I think, and she's always there.

You can always go here (the Facebook group) and send her a message this way:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111875281286&ref=ts

Plus her number and email are in there I think too.

I Wear Pants;739841 wrote:You're going to die.

hahahahah funny and sad at the same time. Either way it's not all veggies and eggs.

Pick6;739803 wrote:do you think you normally spend $650 on those 3 things over 4 months?

No, you probably wouldn't. But I was a doubter of organic food until I had a side-by-side comparison of all sorts of it and was moderately blown away. I also get enjoyment out of knowing it's pesticide and hormone free and thus won't alter my body negatively.

gorocks99;739698 wrote:Tobias, that is awesome that your sister runs one. Coming from CIA I bet she's one HELL of a cook as well. Best of luck to her!

I'll pass it along next time I talk to her haha she is indeed an INCREDIBLE cook. It's mind-boggling. My goal for her is to build this farm thing up (she's tripled the size of her operation in two years) and operate an organic, classy, open-kitchen restaurant in Toledo supplied by Sage Organics. Toledo has an absence of stuff like this, it's evidenced by the fact that she sells out all of the time. As a planning student I think it's neat from a local foods initiative standpoint.

I Wear Pants;739841 wrote:You're going to die.

So are you. So am I. So are all of us.

dwccrew;739921 wrote:So are you. So am I. So are all of us.

Nuh uh.

I Wear Pants;739924 wrote:Nuh uh.

Are you a vampire? Is that why you usually post late at night? You probably avoid the organic garlic.

I think CSA's are a great idea, but I don't eat enough fruits, vegetables, or eggs to justify the cost. Maybe if I had a family, I would consider it more heavily.

Just start entertaining the womenz with quality foods and cooking. Cooking them a nice dinner = pants off.

I Wear Pants;739931 wrote:Just start entertaining the womenz with quality foods and cooking. Cooking them a nice dinner = pants off.

Showing them my bank account = everything off.

sleeper;739932 wrote:Showing them my bank account = everything off.

Sadly this is what many of them only care about.

sleeper;739932 wrote:Showing them my bank account = everything off.

Yeah but then they want you to buy them shit. If you just cook good food you never have to show them the monies.