Community-Supported Agriculture

I have never participated in these but it would be worth checking out CSA’s or community-supported agriculture. They are a great alternative to having your own garden.

It is like a co-op. Everyone pitches in and works the garden or farm in trade for a share of the harvest.

A less labor intensive way is to purchase a share of a garden or farm and get a certain amount of produce weekly. Here is a USDA article on how a CSA works.

To see of there are any CSA's in your area visit LocalHarvest.org

They have a handy search feature where you can type in your zip code. It will check to see if there might be a community-supported agriculture type program in your area. If you don't find any don't despair. They may be out there, just not registered with this site. Ask around. You may find something yet.

Farmers Market

This is how I get fruit for jams, pie fillings and such.

A local orchard supplies us with apple seconds that are almost half price. At this particular orchard the seconds work great for canning… usually there are only slight blemishes. Check with your orchard and see what they have. Ask if they sell seconds. Be sure you are not getting old mushy fruit. Canning will not make bad fruit good. Do you like tart? Or Sweet?

I have a friend who has a peach orchard. I love wandering through the trees enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and the smell of ripe peaches.

Last time we went to pick, there were several mule deer does bedded down in the shelter of her trees. I’m sure they were enjoying a few peaches too!

It was kind of fun watching them watch us. We stayed several rows away and it took a while before they decided to skedaddle.

What a way to spend a morning. We had several boxes of fruit as our reward.

Farm Share

Maybe someone close by has a corner in their yard they would let you use. They might even be thrilled to have someone manage an ignored space that has gone to weeds. Urban Garden Share promotes just such a system. They will let you register as a gardener… or a person with space available.

If you do this I would strongly recommend getting all expectations out in the open up front. Communication is the key to a good working relationship.

Word of Mouth

Community supported agriculture, U-pick gardens or orchards, farmers markets, and most fun of all spread the word.

All of these are great ways to obtain garden fresh produce if you either don't have the time or desire to garden OR if you would love to get your hands in the dirt but simply don't have the space.