If you want to eat local vegetables all summer, you should submit your application for the Gorman Farm CSA program for 2010. You can get the form on the Gorman Web site.
I will try to update my 2009 post about community supported agriculture in Howard County to add information about the Shaw Farm CSA. I love the CSA idea, but I can't make Gorman's rules -- which will require a pickup between 2 and 6 pm on either Thursday or Friday. They'll assign your day. Hope that's convenient for you. Unfortunately, I never get home before 6 pm. I guess I'm stuck with pesticides.
Thanks to Kiki for the Gorman tip. If you are flexible enough for Gorman to assign you a day, check out my post about Vegetable Shopping in Howard County or my posts about the local farmers markets.
I think you have a magic crystal ball. My wife and I recently watched "Food Inc." and have resolved to eat locally and eat seasonally this year. I read fast food nation and the omnivore's dilemma, but only recently heard of this awesome documentary. Anyhow, much thanks for the tip! Any tips on local farms or buying groups for grass fed/pasture raised meats?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that One Straw Farm offers a bit of a better deal, 24 weeks for $490 vs. Gorman at 20 weeks for $550. Anyone have experience with either? It seems like a significant difference.
ReplyDeleteKevin, Hickory Chance Farm out of Harford County sells beef at the Catonsville Farmers Market when it is open on Wednesdays, April-November. The beef is not strictly grassfed, but the farm does not use any animal by-products in its feed which also leaves out a lot of additives found in supermarket meat.
ReplyDeleteJim-- we've been One Straw Farm CSA members for two seasons now and we love it. We just got our e-mail to sign up for next year (it's that time of year, I guess!). We're all about the eating local and all that, but more so, it's nice to have a jumping point to start meals off. We pick up at MOM's on Wednesdays. Love it love it love it. They are based out of White Hall (i think?)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! I had been considering a CSA for several years, but hadn't done much to research it. This is just what I needed to decide to finally do it! I'm leaning toward One Straw Farm as well because it seems like a better deal and later pick-up hours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, anonymous!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWe are now two weeks into South Moutain Veggies CSA - which we learned about here last year. They had a long wait list, but they are now taking new folks.
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good.
We bought some veggies from Gorman Farms last year and liked them. We are doing the CSA this year. I think of it both as fresh food and also supporting farming in HoCo and not more cookie cutter houses where the farm is now.
ReplyDeleteIf you write them, they may (or may not) be able to be flexible with pickup.
There's also Orchard Country Farm CSA, which offers pickup at the Columbia Farmers Market on Thursdays. http://www.orchcountry.com/ We did their CSA last year. They have a great variety of fruits and veggies, although occasionally it was a little over-ripe.
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