What to Expect at CSA Pickup 2023
Written by Erin Morris & Oona Sellew
Hello everyone! Oona here, with the help of some wonderful advice from long-time friend and CSA member Erin Morris, to talk about what to expect at CSA pickups, and how best to prepare.
The first and best preparation you can do for CSA pickup is to gather bags of varying sizes, a good pair of scissors or shears, and a jar (to transport any flowers or herbs that may need water on the ride home) to bring with you on Saturday mornings. We love Blue-Q tote bags for their fun patterns (and long life-expectancy!) though any reusable shopping bag or basket will work. A typical share usually fills 1-2 standard shopping bags. It’s also a good idea to bring reusable produce bags with you to transport loose items that are not bundled, like spinach or beets. Repurpose the produce bags you get at the grocery store, zip-lock bags, or opt for a Vegibag for these items. As for snips and shears, we love using Felco pruning shears at the farm, and they have a range of options at varying price points. Another nice option is this pair from Barebones. We encourage members to use shears when cutting herbs and flowers as opposed to breaking or snapping stems with our fingers, because a clean cut helps maintain the health of the plant.
We suggest keeping your CSA pickup materials in a bag in your car all season, so don’t have to re-gather anything you might need week after week. We’d also suggest bringing a cooler if you think you’ll be running errands after your pick up, or if it’s a particularly warm day and you want to take your time on the farm after you gather your produce.
With your bags and other materials in hand, it’s time to head out to the farm. Enjoy the drive, and remember that Tyringham is a small town, so please respect the neighbors as you drive through the area. When you arrive at the farm, please park on the right side of the driveway in front of the three greenhouses. Be mindful that there will be two clearly-marked accessible parking spaces nearest the barn for those of us who benefit from a closer distance between the parking lot and the CSA pickup area. If there isn’t parking in our driveway, you can park on the side of the road closest to the farm, being sure to pull off the road as far as possible so other cars may safely pass.
When you walk into the CSA pickup area on the first floor of the new Barn & Education Center, someone will be waiting at the door to greet you and check you in. There will also likely be a large chalkboard at the entrance detailing what add-on items we may have for sale and, later in the season, will offer information about what is available in the fields for Pick-Your-Own (ie. sugar snap peas, tomatoes, flowers or herbs).
On the CSA tables, all the veg will be displayed, and labeled with variety names and how much of each item to collect. Be sure to read all of the signs on the tables and if you have questions, it’s always good to ask, don’t be shy! Also, be sure to check out the Swap Shop Table ... Here you can leave a vegetable you may not want, and/or take something left behind by another CSA member. We know everyone has preferences when it comes to veggies, and we also encourage everyone to try everything at least once. You never know what flavor difference you can find in produce this fresh, picked from soil this healthy, compared to what you may be used to!
Lastly, be sure to stop and look around while visiting the farm. Take a walk into the fields, listen to the birds in the trees, experience the beautiful landscape around you. And as you do this, know that this landscape nurtures your soul and your body, and that it is tended by people who care about the land, both its history and its future, and know that to be a Woven Roots CSA member is to be a member of a true community... Welcome.
