We're probably not through with snow for this season, but it's already time to think about springtime vegetables, particularly if you want first dibs on a share of your neighborhood CSA and an early-bird discount.
For the uninitiated, CSA or "Community Supported Agriculture" programs give New Yorkers access to fresh produce grown by local farmers. Members of CSA groups pay farmers directly for shares of the vegetables they plant, harvest and deliver weekly to a convenient pick-up location.
One full share of vegetables, which costs between $450 to $650, typically feeds a family of two to three people for an average of 24 weeks. (Many CSAs also offer fruit shares and add-ons such as meat, cheese, eggs, bread, and flowers.)
Shipments of veggies won't start arriving until May at the earliest, but farmers and your wallet will thank you if you register and pay now.
"The reason that earlier is better for [farmers] is they have all sorts of expenses, like buying seeds, repairing equipment, getting folks who are going to be working ... onto the farm early in March," said Paula Lukats, program director for Just Food, a nonprofit organization that helps communities launch their own CSAs.
They can rack up nearly half of their yearly expenses in the first three months of the year, one farmer told Lukats.
As an incentive to help farmers finance their costs and plan the year's crops, many CSAs offer reduced share prices to members who sign up months in advance of the final deadline. You can save as much as $40 if you buy your share in March.
But CSA groups and farms also accommodate New Yorkers who can't afford to pay a $500 lump sum.
"A lot of the farms do accept payments over time," Lukats said. "They have sliding-scale payments, and they accept food stamps during the season ... so that as many people can be involved in the CSA as possible."
Here's a wide sampling of CSAs you can register for across the five boroughs:
MANHATTAN:
Registration deadline: March 15
Pick-up details: 5:15 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays at Abrons Art Center (466 Grand St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $350
Registration deadline: Sunday, May 1; get an early-bird discount if you sign up by March 20
Pick-up details: 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Mark's Church on the Bowery (131 E. 10th St.)
Cost of one (full) vegetable share: $420
Registration deadline: May 1
Pick-up details: Tuesdays at B’nai Jeshrun (257 W. 88th St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $520
Registration deadline: Final payment due May 10
Pick-up details: 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Vanderbilt YMCA (244 E. 47th St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $520
Registration deadline: Final payment due May 31
Pick-up details: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 344 E. 14th St.
Cost of one vegetable share: $610
Registration deadline: N/A
Pick-up details: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 441 W. 26th St.
Cost of one vegetable share: $555
BROOKLYN:
Registration deadline: April 30
Pick-up details: 5 to 8 p.m. at Phoenix House (50 Jay St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $650
Registration deadline: Pay in full by May 1
Pick-up details: 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Greenpoint Reformed Church (136 Milton Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $520
Registration deadline: Full payment due May 15
Pick-up details: 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays at Georgia’s Place (691 Prospect Place)
Cost of one vegetable share: varies based on household income
Registration deadline: June 1
Pick-up details: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at the Park Church Co-op (129 Russell St.); 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at McCarren Park (Driggs Avenue and North 12th Street)
Cost of one vegetable share: $655.20
Registration deadline: N/A
Pick-up details: 3 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at Thirst Wine Merchants (187 Dekalb Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $483 for a small box
Registration deadline: N/A
Pick-up details: 4 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Garden of Union (634-640 Union St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $510
THE BRONX:
Registration deadline: April 22; save $40 if you sign up by March 11
Pick-up details: 4 to 7 p.m. on either Wednesday or Thursday at the Bainbridge Avenue Garden (2974 Bainbridge Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: A maximum of $400
Registration deadline: Pay in full by June 1
Pick-up details: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays at the College of Mount Saint Vincent (6301 Riverdale Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $675
QUEENS:
Registration deadline: Pay in full by April 24
Pick-up details: 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Hollis Hills Jewish Center’s Annex (80-11 210th St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $568
Registration deadline: April 30; get $40 off if you pay by March 19
Pick-up details: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at Church of the Redeemer (30-14 Crescent St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $410
► Forest Hills Tuv Ha’Aretz CSA
Registration deadline: N/A
Pick-up details: Tuesdays at the Forest Hills Jewish Center (106-06 Queens Blvd.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $555
Registration deadline: N/A
Pick-up details: 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays at Sunnyside Community Services (43-31 39th St.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $570
STATEN ISLAND:
Registration deadline: get a discount of $25 if you sign up by April 30
Pick-up details: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Christ Church New Brighton (76 Franklin Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $697
Registration deadline: June 5; you'll pay an extra $25 if you sign up after April 30
Pick-up details: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Christ Lutheran Church (121 Cleveland Ave.)
Cost of one vegetable share: $622
Registration deadline: June 5; you'll pay an extra $25 if you sign up after April 30
Pick-up details: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Bethel United Methodist Church (7033 Amboy Road)
Cost of one vegetable share: $622
