BY BETH DEDMAN
The Stanton Street Community Supported Agriculture of the Lower East Side is opening enrollment for summer CSA membership.
The CSA will begin their summer season with a meet-and-greet event from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on March 14, where attendees can talk to Farmer Ted Blomgren about his farming techniques and foods, according to their website.
This summer marks the 15th year of the CSA and working with Blomgren to provide produce to Lower East Side residents. The first distribution of the summer will take place June 4 at the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden.
Julia Li, one of several founding core members, started the CSA to provide organic, local and affordable. CSAs are an important alternative to grocery delivery companies.
“One of the things that makes CSAs special is, and it’s almost corny as a concept, but having a connection to the people who grow your food,” Li said. “There is also the aspect of coming and getting your food once a week. There is a two-hour window every Thursday and pick up your stuff and meet members. It is an amazing community building aspect.”
Summer distributions take place once a week between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. In the winter, distributions are once a month from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturdays.
CSA members must complete three shifts for every veggie share they own. The shifts include tasks like unloading bins from the delivery truck, staffing the distribution stations, sweeping the patio, staffing the garden’s front gate, wiping down empty bins, carting leftovers to the food kitchen and other tasks.
“If you approach this with the right attitude, that can be the best part of being in a CSA, so you can know how your food gets to you,” Li said. “It’s a good opportunity to engage in community. It’s both a perk and necessity.”
The CSA also has fruit, egg, flower, cheese, bread and meat shares, among others. They also sell many items that can be purchased a la carte like cheeses, frozen meats, granola, jam, breads, yogurt and grains.
“I think the best part for me is knowing that CSA that we’ve been running and the members that we’ve had a direct impact in keeping Farmer Ted and his family in business,” Li said. “They are running an incredibly ethical operation.”
Enrollment is available at windflowerfarm.wufoo.com/forms/r1pkg6i91l1wony for $566 by March 14. The price of enrollment increases until the deadline of May 26, maxing out at $626.
More information about the Stanton Street CSA is available at stantonstreetcsa.wordpress.com.
