We did a little experiment using Peapod.com to calculate how much it would cost to buy an equal share of organic veggies from Stop & Shop vs a CSA Share.
For this test we used the sample summer box of:
- Sweet corn
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Beets
- Cucumbers
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
We filled our cart with roughly the same amount of produce (12-14lbs of the 8 varieties) and calculated the total cost as:
$38.76
Compare that to the $27.50 per week that the CSA Shares break down to and you can already see the savings. Now factor in the fact that the produce from your CSA Share is
+ Fresher (the produce is harvested one day before delivery, never packaged, and delivered directly from the farm to Vassar to you)
+ Local (you know exactly where your produce comes from and how it is grown, you can even visit the farm and meet the farmers themselves)
+ Supports local farmers (participating in a CSA Share helps the farm guarantee their income)
+ Supports the community (for every share purchased, Glebocki Farms donates an equal share to a local pantry. Last year they donated over 100,000 lbs of produce!)
So if you purchased roughly the same type and amount of produce from Stop & Shop, for the length of the 10 week share, you would end up spending about:
$387.60
Whereas participating in the CSA Share will cost:
$275.00
That's more than $100 of savings! Now we know that it is hard to pay such a large sum at once, but looking at this sample breakdown you can see that you'll actually be saving money in the long run. If you are unable to afford this, we have multiple programs in place to help you participate. Email us at vassarcoop@gmail.com for more info.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
CSA Shares!
We're happy to announce this year's CSA Shares! The poster is here but we thought we'd give you a little more info here as well.
CSA Shares are a great way to support local farmers and get delicious, fresh produce every week. You pay the farmer upfront and then get a weekly selection of their seasonal produce for the length of the share (usually 10 weeks). Above is a photo of one of last year's share.
Glebocki Farm CSA Share
- Full share = 10 weeks
- Cost: $300 to be paid in full at the first pick up
- Start: September 16th
- End: November 18th
- Each share includes 6-8 different varieties of vegetables and weighs about 12-14 lbs
- Half Share: If you cannot find anybody to split a share with you but you are still
interested in buying half of a share, email us and we will try and match you with
another person also buying half a share.
- Subsidized Share: If you would like a share but cannot afford the full price, please
email vassarcoop@gmail.com with your name and the amount you would need
subsidized and we will do our best to match that amount (add part saying we are
doing this because we know local/organic food is expensive and want everyone who is
interested to be able to participate)
- Add on Shares:
- Organic Egg Share: a dozen per week - $60
- Organic Raw Honey Share: 1lb every two weeks - $72
- Organic Mushrooms: 1lb of mushrooms a week (Shiitake, Crimini or Portabello) - $80
- Farm Fresh Creamline Milk Share (pasteurized, not homogonized): 1/2 gallon per week - $50
Sprout Creek Cheese Share
- Get 1/2 lb of cheese every week
- Start: September 9 or 16
- End: November 18th
- Option 1: Basic Cheese Share - Doe Re Mi goat cheese every week: $6 a week, $60
- Option 2: Cheese Lover’s Share - new delicious Sprout Creek cheese every week $7.50 a week, $75
- All their types of cheese can be found on their website sproutcreekfarm.org
TO ORDER click here
-The price of shares must be paid in full at the first pick up (if you have a problem with this please email vassarcoop@gmail.com and we can work out a payment plan)
- Pick ups are every Tuesday from September 16 until November 18 in the College Center from
12-5pm
- Payments can be in cash or checks made out to Vassar Food Co-op
- Email vassarcoop@gmail.com to order or for more information
- All orders must be in by September 12th!
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