CROP SHOP CRAZE
FARM SHARES SIZZLE
By CHUCK BENNETT
June 4, 2007 -- The hottest summer shares aren't just in the Hamptons.
New Yorkers are snapping up shares in organic-farming harvests faster than Sag Harbor rentals as the community-supported agriculture trend blooms.
There are 50 community-supported agriculture clubs, or CSAs, in the city that ensure members a weekly supply of the freshest produce in town. Twenty of them have already sold out their seasonal harvest shares, according to the nonprofit group Just Food.
"This year, we sold out by the beginning of April," said Steven Waxman, coordinator of the Carnegie Hill/Yorkville CSA in Manhattan, which has 190 shares of the Stoneledge Farm in upstate South Cairo. "You definitely have a food element, but there is also a general wariness of commercial produce."
For a fee ranging from $225 to $600, New Yorkers can purchase a share in a harvest from a regional organic farmer through their local CSA.
Each week, shareholders collect a big bag of fresh, organic produce containing seven to 10 different vegetables - all delivered personally by the farmer to a makeshift distribution center.
"It starts with just supporting a local farmer and eating fresh, organic vegetables. That's the main reason people do it," said Chris Caveglia, coordinator of the Cobble Hill CSA in Brooklyn. "It's cheaper than going to the grocery store, deli or even farmers market."
With 200 shares, Cobble Hill CSA is the city's largest. There were still about 20 shares available, Caveglia said, but those were expected to go by the time the first shipment from the Green Thumb Organic Farm in Water Mill, L.I., arrives later this month.
Part of the attraction of CSAs is getting veggies not found in even the fanciest grocery stores.
"Most people primarily know butternut and acorn squash. We get delicata squash, the sweetest, most amazing squash. Just cut it and bake it. It's fantastic," raved Bernie DeLeo, coordinator of the sold-out Chubby Bunny CSA on the Upper West Side.
Most CSAs will receive their first batch later this month with weekly shipments until late November. In addition to vegetables, CSAs offer fruit, eggs from free-range chickens, meat from organically raised animals, honey, maple syrup and dairy products, such as raw milk or artisan cheeses.
"It's very social," Waxman said. "We have potluck dinners. We have trips to the farm. People get to know their neighbors."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06042007/news/regionalnews/crop_shop_craze_regionalnews_chuck_bennett.htm
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