CSA: "How much in a box? How long does it keep?"

Photo: A few of Saint Luke Farm's garden beds early last spring

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What are you thinking about signing up for a CSA share? (Or have you already signed up!) 👍

We loved fielding Farm Friend questions about CSA boxes this past week. As usual...you ask, we answer!

Q1: "How much produce is in a box?"

A: Because boxes always feature the freshest veggies that are ready for harvest on picking day, opening your box and revealing the varieties and quantities inside is a large part of the fun of receiving your boxes!

You can expect boxes that mirror the growing cycle—delicious smaller quantities at the beginning and end of the season, and greater quantities and variety in the middle.

Your investment represents a share of the total harvest, which will be delivered in varying amounts throughout the season.

For example...

Here are three examples of what you might expect—keeping in mind that we are painting a picture using a few sample boxes from last year, not providing an exact list of 2024's unique box contents & quantities:

Early Season example box: 5oz spinach, 1 bunch of green onions, 1 bunch of breakfast radishes, 1 bunch of turnips, 1lb of bok choy, 1 bundle of kale, micro greens 2 oz, 1 pound of sugar snap peas.

Main Season example box: 1 bundle of basil, 1 pound of bush beans, 2-4 units of squash and zucchini, 12 oz new potatoes, 3-4 sweet peppers, one pint of sun gold cherry tomatoes, one pound of slicing tomatoes, 2 cucumbers.

Late Season example box: one winter squash (2-3lbs), one bundle of japanese greens, 1lb of carrots, 5oz of salad mix, one pound of kohlrabi, 2lb cabbage, one bundle of beets.

Q2: "How long does the produce stay fresh?"

A: I'll turn this one over to a customer from last year!

"My family found some weeks were busier than others and sometimes we didn't get to the produce right away. It stored up to 2-3 weeks without losing the freshness of the product. We found that we never wasted any product because it had a nice shelf life (especially compared to grocery store produce that sits around a long time before it eventually gets purchased. Not to mention grocery store produce is normally picked before it's fully ripe which means less flavor and less nutrition!)"

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We welcome your questions anytime. If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up for your CSA share today!

See also: What is a CSA and why should you sign up for one?