The other day I was in the grocery store—just your regular chain supermarket—because we were out of a few basics at home. I wandered the produce section, trying to fill my basket with organic options since we’re still in the “off-season” for farming here in the Northeast. And before I knew it, I was staring down at a sad little haul and a receipt for $38.
It hit me right then: That’s the same amount as one of our CSA boxes. Only I didn’t have much to show for it besides old produce and TONS of plastic packaging! (More on that in a future post.)
I bought a bag of potatoes, a box of lettuce, and dried up carrots from California, greenhouse-grown peppers and cucumbers from Canada, tasteless tomatoes from Mexico, and last season’s (yes 2024!) apples from Washington state. Nothing was local, much of it was imported from other countries and had been sitting in storage for weeks or months.
I was honestly surprised at how little I walked out with for $38. And if you’re like me, you probably don’t usually break out the cost of just the fruits and veggies on your grocery bill. It all blends together. But when you do stop and look, the numbers are hard to ignore. A few items from the store don’t go far—and they certainly don’t compare in any way to a CSA box.
With our CSA, that $38 fills a box. I mean really fills it. But it’s not just that our produce costs less than what you’d pay for the same amount of organic produce at the store. It’s more vibrant, flavorful and packed with nutrition. It’s the kind of produce you just can’t wait to get home to cook. Varieties are chosen for flavor, not shelf-life, and many you can never find in stores.
Most importantly, our CSA boxes are packed the day of harvest and delivered straight from the farm to local neighborhoods. Never a middle-man, never extra handling or sitting in storage. It’s just a better way to eat. And I can’t wait for the season to begin!
