Mostly a lurker her in this forum but there is no time like now to chip in…
I have read several mentions of people here who are members of CSAs (jargon alert: community supported agriculture in which one buys a share in a farmer’s production). Is anybody a member in a CSF (community supported fishery)? We have a new one here in Carrboro/Chapel Hill that works with fishermen in Carteret County on the Core Sound of North Carolina. We get a half share every other week (household of two) and so far we gotten the freshest scallops I’ve ever had and some lovely shrimp. We pick up our clams and Spanish mackerel this afternoon so we’ll having some clams tonight that were dug up yesterday afternoon!
The CSA is a little different than most. You buy in at the beginning of the season and they put “money” in your account.Each week you get to pick out the produce you want. If you don’t like beets, you don’t have to pick them out. Each vegetable, etc. is assigned a price by either weight or item. When you run out of money, you don’t get anything more.
The only drawback with this is that they get to assign the value. Since they have the greatest items around, they are also the most expensive. They are even more expensive than “Whole Paycheck” and the local green grocers.
The CSF offers shares of whole fish, fillets or alternating whole fish/fillets (alternates by week). They supply 6lbs of whole fish or 2lbs of fillets. The species depends on what is available each morning. The quantity is great, the quality is great - the drawback is that they have only supplied code so far (well 1 week a pollack and another flounder).
We will probably not sign up for either of these again. We will go with a more traditional CSA, but skip the CSF unless another one with greater variety is available.
Love my CSA and the surprise of opening the box each week and the challenge of using it all up. I wish the early season had a bit less in the lettuce department (albeit 3 or 4 interesting varieties) as I am not a huge salad guy. Of course this week with my wife on the road and some leftover steak I made about 3 variations on steak salad in the past 4 nights!
Cooked the clams tonight – best I’ve ever had. Used a fairly simply recipe from epicurious.com and wanted to lick the plate. Living large. The Patty Green Pinot was pretty damn good too!
Longtime CSA member. Have not previously heard of CFS’s - though it is a great idea.
There is an egg CSA around here. And “cow shares” to be found for fresh raw milk.
We do have a guy who drives down from Maine each week to see fresh seafood at a couple of local famers markets - especially great during Maine Shrimp season.
CSF last year until we moved. We had lots of flounder, hake, cod, cusk, whiting, etc. So, no lack of variation. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. They also did a CSS (shrimp), but Maine shrimp don’t do much for me…