How far would you drive to a CSA?

[MomOfAnOnly]

I found a local CSA that I am really excited to join, the only downside is it's a 45-50 minute drive to get there. Everything else is great about it- it's a choose-you-own CSA, meaning you choose what produce you want every week and it's deducted from you membership fee. Also if we signed up for the "farm stand only membership" (meaning we won't shop at any of the farmers markets he sets up at) we would get an additional $100 credit, so we would get $350 worth of produce for $250 (that's a half share, we would start with that).

They also offer eggs, local honey (but I found a stand that the bees are closer to our house, only 1 mile away, so I get honey there), and we would also have the opportunity to buy from him an organically fed, cage free, naturally raised turkey for Thanksgiving!

So-- would you do it? Is 45 minutes too far to drive for a CSA when there are others (which less perks) that are 10 minutes away?

[DucksLikeRain]

It would be way too far for me unless it was the only one around. I think you need to weight the costs of driving that far each way (time and gas and vehicle useage) against the value of the perks. If the perks outweigh the costs then it'd be worth it. For me the perks you've mentioned (thinking of them in comparison to more local options I personally would have without those perks) I still wouldn't choose to drive that far. But I can also get turkeys and honey and tons of produce within a 10 mile radius from at least 6 different sources which I realize isn't the norm.

[MomOfAnOnly]

Yeah none of those perks come with other -closer- CSA's around here. I just talked to the guy that owns the farm and runs the CSA. He said he would also give me the other bonuses for signing up, so my $250 would be closer to $400. That's pretty crazy. And his prices at the farm are cheaper than when he takes stuff to the farmer's markets, because he doesn't have to factor in the cost of transporting/booth fees.

Especially with having the ability to pick out only the fruits and vegetables we actually want (instead of just whatever they give us), I'm finding the distance to not be much of a con. ALL the CSA's around here you get what they give you. And none of them actually grow the produce them self, they just order it, and often from other states. This guy grows all of his own produce, right on the farm where we would be picking it up, and that says CSA more to me than buying from other states---- how is that any different than buying at the grocery store?

So much to think about!!!!

[MomOfAnOnly]

And did I mention, Tif, just how jealous I am that you have all of that available basically right in your neighborhood

[DucksLikeRain]

Just move on up here and you, too, can be in a mecca of farmland and produce!

[MomOfAnOnly]

We talk about moving all the time! None of us like the heat here at all, funny because we are all natives. But we need sun, a lot of it

[i.<3.cheesysmiles]

It would too far for me. That is almost a 2-hour round trip, and I don't have time in my schedule for that. Would you take Emme with you? Does she mind being in the car for that long? We have a ton of CSAs here. Ours is <5minutes away. I couldn't do much further than that because they open at 1 pm. By the time naps are over, and they have a snack, we get there at 4, spend at least an hour getting our share (we pick what we want) and picking in the fields. By the time we get home, it is time for dinner.

If the travel works for your schedule, though, the benefits do seem really good. It sounds similar to mine, and I really like mine.

[macksmom]

Is there anything else around there you could do? Can you make a day of it with Emme? Do you have other commitments to work around? If my kids could handle the car ride I might do it but I know they can't.....

[Bridget]

Hmmm. I'd consider it. Are there other things in the area so you could kill more birds with that stone? I drive 40 minutes to grocery shop at the closest health food co-op. I cannot get most of what I need in our town. We have piggly wiggly so maybe 2-3 options of organic produce. It's not always every week but when I go I try to do other things in the area as well. Our csa, however, gets picked up right in town. It sounds awesome!

[MomOfAnOnly]

Emme does pretty well in the car most of the time now, and I anticipate my mom coming with us because the produce stand is only open on the weekends, so having her with us helps it be an easier trip too. Unfortunately there isn't anything else to do out that way that I can think of. It's along the interstate well outside of the "Phoenix Metropolitan area." We are already towards the outskirts anyway. It's basically just desert in between here and California. Maybe we could convince my dad to make a trip out with Emme and I every once in a while so we could spend some time with him (and not his obnoxious friend/roommate) I asked my sis if she wanted to do it too, and if she wants in her and her girls would be riding with us too.