photo by marioanima on Flickr

 You might remember that we joined an organic CSA co-op about a year ago. However, I’m sad to report that after putting it on hold when Little Lady was born, we haven’t rejoined.

I really enjoyed it while it lasted! Things I liked about it:

• Fresh, organic fruits & veggies picked and assembled for me automatically
• Supporting farmers directly rather than through large (and expensive) distribution channels
• Experiencing new and different foods, being forced to learn how to cook new things!
• Having fresh organic produce on hand for the kids

Things I didn’t like:

• The amount of food was often more than we could eat before it went bad
• Sometimes the food wasn’t fresh, so it’s shelf life was shorter than usual
• I did have to drive out to the location and pick up the bin every other week, which took away one of my “free days” (days of the week with no scheduled activity) with the kids
• The bins were set out for pickup in the direct sunlight, which caused a lot of wilting in the summer months
• Some of the food in the share no one in our family would eat – like lettuce. I am the only person in our family who will eat lettuce, and I was never able to eat 2 giant bunches we always got before it went bad in 4-5 days. I could put it in the bin for others to use, but I was still paying for all the things no one in my family would eat.

Because of the waste factors described above, the co-op cost became prohibitive in relation to what was actually usable for us. Instead, I just make it a point to go to our local organic grocer and by plenty of fruits and vegetables that we will actually use. Since I’m

I’d love to start it back up again maybe when we have more disposable income, or if I could find a co-op that would let me specify what kinds of produce I did and did not want to pay for.

I also have high hopes for the possibility of building a garden in the back yard of our new house in the spring!

Anyone else have a co-op they love? I’d love to hear about it!