The ABCs of CSA Excess

In addition to having the coolest environmentalist handle going, Slate’s Green Lantern doesn’t duck the tough questions. Such as: ‘My CSA gives me more food than I can eat…is that bad?

In a thorough answer, The Lantern (a.k.a. Jacob Leibenluft) weighs the pros and cons of food waste stemming a CSA box--photo by christopher bailey (via creative commons)from bountiful community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes.

I appreciated The Lantern’s suggestion of sharing excess produce with a food bank or friends. The hard part here might doing so early on, before the produce ages into a less generous gift. Even if it’s fresh, some food banks may balk at taking these kinds of unwrapped, perishable donations. Still, it’s worth asking.

My main experience with CSAs came when vacationing friends let us collect their week’s bounty. As the beneficiary of this sharing, I encourage these friends to vacation early and often wholeheartedly recommend it.

It’s probably worth considering splitting a subscription with friends or asking if your farm sells half shares. Those two compromises enable you to support local farms, enjoy fresh produce and not waste as much food. Where do I sign up?

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