🌾 Harvesting Community: 2023 Member Survey Results
Just like that, we made it through our 13th (!!) year of our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, with 75+ households bringing home fresh veggies and flowers over the course of 6 months. We were able to continue our partnerships with Vancouver Food Runners in donating our extra harvests, and with our neighbors at the Reiderman Residence in providing 4 harvest shares/week throughout the growing season. As we delve into the feedback from the 2023 CSA members, it becomes abundantly clear that being part of the CSA program is not just about receiving a box of fresh produce; it's a journey of discovery, connection, and wholesome nourishment.
Y’all👏ate👏up👏those👏turnips👏
The statistics speak for themselves – 92% of CSA members expressed satisfaction with the variety and quantity of vegetables and flowers in their shares. Here are this season’s winners.
🍅 Member Favorites:
Hakurei Turnips: A unanimous favorite, these turnips shine both cooked and raw.
Dahlias: No surprise here. They’re just so majestic
Patty Pans/ Scaloppini Squash : We received so many photos from members showing how they incorporated the squash into their everyday cooking, like squash in okonomiyaki!
Peas: Members got to glean some peas at the end of harvest, which was a sweet treat especially for the kids!
Tomatoes: Another classic. Especially our heirloom varieties that you won’t see at your grocery store (they don’t pack and travel well, but are such a flavor bomb) Loved for their versatility and flavor.
The CSA experience is not just about receiving familiar favorites; it's about discovering new additions to your culinary repertoire. Purslane, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, and lemon cucumbers – these were some of the crops that members discovered through our CSA, and through the weekly recipes via our newsletters, members learn how they can incorporate these crops into their everyday cooking.
🍳 Overcoming Culinary Challenges
CSA members are not just passive recipients; they actively engage with the produce, and when we asked about some of the hurdles in using/caring for their vegetables, here’s what some CSA members said about it:
“The amount of salad at the beginning is always a challenge, because we're not big salad eaters, but I usual take a bag or two to a friend until we get into the swing of things.”
“Basil, we kept them in a jar with a bit of water to preserve them.”
“Sometimes felt like too many tomatoes, but we got used to using them in different ways (especially cooked with eggs for breakfast)"
From managing surplus tomatoes to dealing with delicate salad greens, the feedback shows a community dedicated to making the most of their weekly shares.
🤝 Nurturing Connection Through Farm and Community
The CSA membership extends beyond the mere transaction of fresh produce. It fosters a connection between individuals, the land, and the local community. Here’s a summary from members’ responses on how the experience contributed to their overall connection to the farm and local community:
Supporting Local: CSA members express joy in supporting local businesses and embracing healthy growing practices.
Farm Visits: Regular pick-ups and potlucks offer a chance to connect with the farm and fellow members.
Educational Opportunities: The CSA experience serves as a valuable tool for teaching children about food origins and the importance of choosing to support local.
U-Pick Adventures: The opportunity to harvest berries and peas directly from the farm adds a hands-on dimension to the CSA experience.
We have so much gratitude for our members who have actively chosen to support us and cheer us on. It brings us so much joy to see that our community gets to participate in connecting with the changing seasons and gain insights into the labor of love that goes into hyper- local produce. And of course, this could only be accomplished with our volunteer team who shoveled wheelbarrows upon wheelbarrows of compost in the spring, harvested vegetables every Tuesday morning for the CSA, and did all that needed to be done for this lil farm operation to run. And for them, we are grateful.
Interested in signing up for our 2024 CSA Harvest Share Membership? Learn more here
Wanna join our volunteer team for 2024? Learn more here
