It's getting more difficult to find that truly unique gift during the holiday season, even though it seems like the commercial offerings are greater than ever.
We'd all like to give something that shows how much we value the recipient and has a lasting impact on their lives. That's a lot to ask from a gift, but consider this suggestion: a membership in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm.
It's been a couple years since I wrote about the concept of CSAs, but this is a perfect time to revisit the subject. The memberships are a great way to get to know your local farmer and reap the benefits of the harvest.
In simplest terms, you purchase a seasonal subscription, or "share," of the farmers' products. Typically, you pay the farmer a share fee in the winter. This business model is particularly well-suited to direct-market farmers who are cash-strapped in the late winter/early spring. The farmer needs to purchase seeds and many other supplies for the growing season, and, at least in our region, most of the farm income has tailed off in the winter months.
In return for their advance payment, the consumer is given weeks of freshly harvested vegetables during the remaining three seasons. Many farms don't stop at vegetables, offering shares of eggs, meats, flowers, maple syrup, honey, dairy products and more. Some are seasonal, some year-round, some conventional, some organic, etc. — the options are yours to explore.
Before you give a membership as a gift, however, you should consider the farm's distribution system.
Local fresh food might be welcome in someone's home, but if they are unable or unwilling to pick up their share, this idea becomes less than convenient. On-farm pickup, once a week, is most common, but many CSA farmers also vend at local farmers markets and will bring the boxes of produce with them for distribution.
Some farms even offer home delivery, although this is rare because of the increased labor involved.
Share prices are wide-ranging, depending on the products being offered and are set to reflect a fair-market value for fresh local food. Less-expensive options are half-shares; "canning shares," offered during the late-summer peak of garden harvest; and specific shares for just eggs, flowers or honey.
Often, the consumer can negotiate a "working share," in which they labor on the farm for a few hours each week in exchange for a reduced share price.
This is a great way to breathe some fresh air, stretch your muscles with some new activities, and take out your frustrations on the tenacious weeds in the farm field. It reacquaints the non-agrarian public with the process of raising food. Again, both the farmer and the consumer benefit here.
We are fortunate to have many CSAs across the North Country. Why not give the gift of local fresh food? Adirondack Harvest is an organization dedicated to connecting area farmers with consumers and can help you in your quest for local foods. For a listing of CSAs with contact information, visit www.adirondackharvest.com/csa.html.
If you cannot afford to give a full share, consider shopping for local food gifts at the winter farmers markets that remain open through mid-December. You can find them at the Old Base Oval in Plattsburgh and the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, moved indoors for everyone's comfort.
Laurie Davis is an educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Essex County and is the coordinator for Adirondack Harvest. Reach her at 962-4810, Ext. 404, or by email: lsd22@cornell.edu.
