While we realize that many folks out there don't have the luxury of a year-round CSA due to the weather (what do you mean, the farm's under 3 feet of snow?), we happen to live in one of those lucky parts of the year. To kick off the new year, we joined a new CSA, and a friend of ours let us in on an awesome piece of information.
When we told her we'd picked up our first (amazing!) share from Johnson's Backyard Garden in Austin, Texas, she said, "I very likely washed those carrots you're eating—I volunteer at the farm to earn my share of veggies each week." Brilliant!
We've been wanting to get more involved in the community and are always looking for opportunities. Last year we volunteered at the farmer's market, greeting patrons and helping with fresh food demonstrations. It was so rewarding! But what about getting one step closer to the source? We're all for it. By volunteering at your closest local farm, you could enjoy getting your hands dirty, not to mention maybe a hard-earned share of the crops.
(And if your farm is not doling out shares right now, just bookmark this idea for Spring to get in on the volunteering action.)
Volunteering at a farm will teach you a thing or two about your own gardening endeavors, too, so it's a win across the board, weather you take home a share or not.
Do you volunteer at your CSA, community garden, or farmer's market? And do you get to take home some of the goodies?
Related posts:
• Take a Volunteer Vacation
• The Best Cities for Urban Gardening
• How to Join a CSA
Image: Johnson's Backyard Garden.
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
Vacation House Cooking: 5 Dinner Menus You Can Make in Any Kitchen
Summer Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream
how would one go about finding a csa in their area? i live in schertz tx (just northeast of san antonio). i would LOVE to do something like that!
@vertigoxcured: Google can be your best friend. I did a quick search for "CSA San Antonio, Texas" and came up with a couple of local farms. Looks like Braune Farms in Seguin has a CSA, and maybe even stop by the Schertz Farmer's Market to see if there are any farms that you can volunteer with. Central Texas is so awesome for its year-round supply of foods. Right now, we're seeing a lot of leafy greens and root veggies in the CSA boxes and at markets. Good luck! Hope you find something that works for you.
our local CSA (Morgantown, WV) is almost always full up (usually with a 50-family wait list) which is AWESOME but sad if you're at the end of the list.
@vertigoxcured : I agree with amber77, Google is key for this. We also found out by speaking with folks at our local farmer's markets. CSAs getting more and more high-tech all the time. Ours' allows for us to make substitutions for certain veggies online and even purchase local eggs, cheese, and bread.
@vertigoxcured try www.localharvest.org as well. You can search for all kinds of local spots you can search for.