A blog experiment: Is it more cost-effective to support local farms via CSA, or FM?

[Amber]

A blog experiment: Is it more cost-effective to invest in a CSA or just buy weekly from the Westford MA Farmers Market?

http://bit.ly/aFB9AE

[Amber]

Are my CSA blog posts "falsely misleading"? I address this accusation here.

[Tony1941]

It would be nice to support the local farmer and guarantee him/her an income. In the case of CSAs, the customer bears all the risk.
If you shop at a super market, you are guaranteed vegetables that have been inspected and you are able to evaluate the quality of the merchandise before you buy.

IMHO CSAs are bad investments for the consumer.

[jbluestein]

It would be nice to support the local farmer and guarantee him/her an income. In the case of CSAs, the customer bears all the risk.
If you shop at a super market, you are guaranteed vegetables that have been inspected and you are able to evaluate the quality of the merchandise before you buy.

IMHO CSAs are bad investments for the consumer.

You certainly assume a greater level of risk when you participate in a CSA. I don't know about all the risk -- you're gambling that your $500-600 will pay off by providing you with a sufficient quantity of produce to make it worth your while. The farmer may be protected from financial effects for this year, but they still have the risk that they won't satisfy their customers for a variety of reasons, only some of which they can control. Unsatisfied customers --> fewer repeat customers --> bad news for the farmer in future years.

I don't know if CSAs are a bad investment or not. I'm interested in the results of Amber's experiment, certainly. We've done CSAs in the past and also go to the Farmer's Market and the supermarket. Each has its advantages and drawbacks.

[rcweir]

I think that's the point. A farmer assumes many risks related to weather, disease, etc., on the production side, but also the unknown of whether they are selling into a strong or weak market. Their expenses are upfront and fixed, but the pay out is variable. They could get wiped out in a hailstorm. Or everything could go right and they have a bumper crop. Of course, if everyone has a bumper crop then that drives prices down. A lot of risks. A large farmer can balance these out, and hedge the risk with futures contracts.

A CSA transfer the risks to the consumer. The farmer's costs are still up front and fixed, but the payments are also upfront and fixed. So their risk is taken care of, at least the portion of their operations that covers the CSA.

What isn't clear is whether the price to the consumer is also discounted to reflect the risk that the consumer is taking on, in terms of unknown quantity and quality, as well as discounting from the time value of money, since you are paying up front. So when you add it all up, there should be a substantial discount. But is there?

I wouldn't compare to the supermarket, since the quality and freshness is not comparable. But a fair comparison might be to a local farmer's market.

[jbluestein]

What isn't clear is whether the price to the consumer is also discounted to reflect the risk that the consumer is taking on, in terms of unknown quantity and quality, as well as discounting from the time value of money, since you are paying up front. So when you add it all up, there should be a substantial discount. But is there?

I wouldn't compare to the supermarket, since the quality and freshness is not comparable. But a fair comparison might be to a local farmer's market.

More eloquently stated than my post, but you said what I was trying to say.

I would like to think that supporting a CSA has at least a nonzero chance of providing greater value than shopping at a farmer's market. I would accept that it's not a guarantee, since a given farm can have a good year or a bad year and farmer's market prices may not fluctuate at the same levels that a single farm's output might.

Of course, CSAs also provide some intangible benefits (economist-speak for 'thing that has no actual measurable value'). Specifically, there's the warm fuzzies of supporting a local farm (although you can get that in some quantities at the farmer's market as well). One thing I like about CSAs is that you're occasionally challenged to eat vegetables that you wouldn't normally choose to buy. Figuring out what to do with a bunch of tatsoi or a celery root can be fun. Whether it provides enough value to tip the balance in favor of a CSA is probably a matter of personal preference.

[Amber]

Figuring out what to do with a bunch of tatsoi or a celery root can be fun.

Excellent in stir-fry (tatsoi) and as a cold salad akin to coleslaw (celery root).

Which reminds me, I need to post a few more recipes also. I'm trying to bring myself to do potato leek soup for the girls but I don't have the heart to turn on the stove. They may have to suffer with MYO English muffin pizzas in the toaster oven.

[Nab4Life]

I'm surprised somebody would post that. I don't know how you could refute the photos and the prices researched for comparison. It seems obvious to me they have a vested interest with Jones Farm though. I've never done a CSA, but I am interested to see how the experience works out for your family.

[Amber]

Just started weeks 6-10.