2009 Season Harvest Summary, Share Size Examples
and Unit System Explanation
Overview: How much food do I get?
At Colchester Farm CSA, the amount of produce available to you each week depends on
which share size you decide to purchase. We offer three share-size options: small (5
units), medium (8 units) and large (14 units). Some members choose to split shares;
others purchase multiple shares depending on their needs.
You might be wondering: what is a “unit” of vegetables anyway? How do you determine
how big a unit will be? What does a share really amount to at different points in the
growing season? What follows is an attempt to answer those questions.
Why “units” of vegetables?
Different CSA operations utilize different systems for distributing its harvest to members.
For example, some farms offer a single share size, while others offer various size options
(examples include half-share/full share options, small/medium/large options, or
single/family size options).
Some farms decide on a weekly basis how much to offer their members, while other
farms, such as Colchester, rely on a “unit” system, where members are offered a set
number of “units” of vegetables each week. The number of units never changes (e.g., at
Colchester, if you purchase a small share, you receive 5 items from the farm each week
of the growing season). Even so, there is some variability in the “unit” system since the
size of a given unit may vary from one week to the next depending on the size of the
harvest.
These systems have a dual purpose: to help members know what to expect each week,
and to help the farmer plan for harvests and avoid waste / picking too much, or quantities
insufficient to go around. All of these systems are imperfect and depend on a variety of
factors: the whims of mother nature, the training and experience of a given farmer, the
tools/equipment a farmer has access to, and available labor. A farmer may choose to rely
on a system for a variety of reasons, including familiarity with a specific way of doing
things, member-preference, ease of marketing, etc.
How does CFCSA determine a “unit” size?
Though you receive the same number of units each week with a Colchester Farm CSA
share, you may notice that the quantity or weight of a given vegetable unit may differ
week to week.
The biggest constraint on vegetable availability is the issue of seasonality. In our
temperate climate, different crops thrive at different parts of the season; some are cold
hardy, others are heat tolerant, or even require heat to mature. For example, tomatoes
won’t ripen in lower temperatures, so we cannot expect to harvest tomatoes until things
heat up in late July and August. We also can’t plant them out too early, since a frost
might kill tomato plants. On the other hand, lettuce is available pretty much through the
entire season because it is faster maturing and lettuce seeds will germinate and grow in a
variety of conditions, including relatively cool conditions.
Other factors impact our decision on how much constitutes a “unit” of any given
vegetable. Convention plays a role: we may offer certain vegetables in similar quantities
you would find at a grocery store. Time and labor are major constraints in planting,
tending, and harvesting. We can only harvest so much of certain vegetables because
they’re labor intensive to pick (e.g., peas, beans, and cherry tomatoes). Finally, crop
failure due to pest pressure and harsh weather conditions may preclude our ability to
offer as much to members as we would like.
2009 Harvest Summary & Share Size Examples
Examples of our small and large share sizes are provided below for the first and second
half of each month during the 2009 CSA season (late-May through early-November). The
harvest varies year-to-year depending on a multitude of factors, so the examples provided
only offer a general guide to vegetable availability, in terms of both variety and quantity;
it is not a prediction of our future harvests or a guarantee of weekly availability this
season.
Please also keep in mind the examples provided below are just that --- examples. If you
come to the farm or Kingstown Garden Center to pick up your vegetable share, you
choose the vegetables you want, and thus a greater variety is available to members with
small shares than reflected below. To get a sense of the variety available at a particular
point in the season, review the content of large share size examples. Also, you may want
to review our vegetable seasonal availability chart, posted on the following website:
http://www.colchesterfarm.org/seasonalavailability.html.
Our CSA harvest season was 22 weeks in 2009. We harvested every Monday and
Wednesday for approximately 138 CSA members or member families, beginning
Wednesday May 27, and ending Monday October 26. We also harvested for the
Middletown Farmers market from April 11-August 1 and for the Chestertown Farmers
Market from May 30-December 12. We offered 43 different types of vegetables, and 170
varieties, not including flowers and herbs. We offered a mid-summer gleaning
opportunity for our first planting of tomatoes. For 2010, we are extending the CSA
season from 22 weeks to 26 weeks, for which we will harvest every Tuesday and Friday,
from late May through late-November. We will sell our produce at the Chestertown
Farmers Market on Saturdays, from April through mid-December. Learn more about this
market online: http://www.chestertown.com/market/index.php
June (earlier / late-May)
Small Share: 5 oz. lettuce mix * 5 oz. spinach * 10 oz. broccoli * 1 bunch radishes *
bunch of 10 garlic scapes * (bonus items: chives, garlic chives, spearmint, oregano)
Large Share: 10 oz. lettuce mix * 10 oz. spinach * 20 oz. broccoli * 2 bunches radishes *
bunch of 10 garlic scapes * 2 heads lettuce * 5 oz. arugula * 1 12 oz. bunch kale * 1 head
bok choy * (bonus items: chives, garlic chives, spearmint, oregano)
June (later)
Small Share: 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 8 oz. bunch Swiss chard * 8 oz. sugar snap peas * 1
lb. purplette onions * 1 lb. carrots * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill and parsley)
Large Share: 10 oz. lettuce mix * 1 8 oz. bunch Swiss chard * 8 oz. sugar snap peas * 1
lb. purplette onions * 1 head cabbage * 1 lb. carrots * 2 slicing cucumbers * 1 head bok
choy * 1 lb. summer squash/zucchini * 8 oz. shell or snow peas * 1 lb. new potatoes * 1
12 oz. bunch kale * 1 flower bouquet * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill and parsley)
July (earlier)
Small Share: 5 oz. lettuce mix * 2 lbs. summer squash/zucchini * 3 slicing cucumbers *
1 lb. green beans * 1 head cabbage * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley)
Large Share: 5 oz. lettuce mix * 4 lbs. summer squash/zucchini * 3 slicing cucumbers *
2 lb. green beans * 1 head cabbage * 1 lb. purplette onions * 2 lbs. potatoes * 3 heads
garlic * 1 bunch carrots * 1 8 oz. bunch Swiss chard * 1 bunch kohlrabi (bonus items:
basil, cilantro, dill, parsley)
July (later)
Small Share: 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 lb. tomatoes plus 1 pint cherry tomatoes * 2 lbs.
summer squash/zucchini * 1 lb. white onions * 3 slicing cucumbers * (bonus items: basil,
hot peppers, parsley, peppermint and spearmint)
Large Share: 10 oz. lettuce mix * 3 lbs. tomatoes plus 1 pint cherry tomatoes * 2 lbs.
summer squash/zucchini * 1 lb. white onions * 3 slicing cucumbers * 6 pickling
cucumbers * 4 ears corn * 2 heads cabbage * 3 heads garlic * 1 lb. potatoes * 1 bunch
beets (bonus items: basil, hot peppers, parsley, peppermint and spearmint)
August (earlier)
Small Share: 1 lb. green beans * 2 muskmelons/cantaloupes * 2 lbs. summer
squash/zucchini * 4 lbs. tomatoes (heirloom, red slicing, and/or plum) + 1 pint cherry
tomatoes * 4 ears sweet corn * (bonus items: basil and hot peppers)
Large Share: 2 lbs. green beans * 2 muskmelons/cantaloupes * 1 watermelon * 2 lbs.
summer squash/zucchini * 4 lbs. tomatoes (heirloom, red slicing, and/or plum) + 1 pint
cherry tomatoes * 8 ears sweet corn * 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 lb. potatoes * 3 heads garlic *
2 slicing cucumbers or 4 pickling cucumbers * 3 sweet bell peppers * 1 bunch scallions
August (later)
Small Share: 1 bunch carrots * 2 sweet bell peppers * 2 lbs. potatoes * 1 spaghetti or 1
acorn squash * 1 watermelon * (bonus items: basil and hot peppers)
Large Share: 1 bunch carrots * 4 sweet bell peppers * 2 lbs. potatoes * 1 spaghetti or 1
acorn squash * 1 watermelon * 4 ears sweet corn * 1 lb. white onions * 1 bunch scallions
* 10 stalks edamame * 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 bunch purslane * 2 lbs. tomatoes (red slicing,
heirloom and/or plum) or 2 pints cherry tomatoes * (bonus items: basil and hot peppers)
September (earlier)
Small Share: 6 ears sweet corn * 1 head bok choy * 2 lbs tomatoes (heirloom, red
slicing, and/or plum) * 1 bunch radishes * 1 lb. mixed yellow and red onions * (bonus
items: basil, cilantro, hot peppers)
Large Share: 6 ears sweet corn * 1 head bok choy * 2 lbs tomatoes * 1 bunch radishes *
1 lb. mixed yellow and red onions * ½ pint shallots * 2 pints cherry tomatoes * 1 lb.
potatoes * 1 watermelon * 1 winter squash * 6 sweet bell peppers * 3 small eggplant * 5
oz. lettuce mix * 3 heads garlic * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, hot peppers)
September (later)
Small Share: 1 winter squash (delicata, sweet dumpling or butternut) * 5 oz. arugula or
lettuce mix * 3 small eggplant * 1 bunch watermelon radishes * 1 bunch turnips * (bonus
items: basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary, sage and assorted hot peppers)
Large Share: 1 winter squash (delicata, sweet dumpling or butternut) * 5 oz. arugula * 5
oz. lettuce mix * 3 small eggplant * 1 bunch watermelon radishes * 1 bunch turnips * 1
lb. mixed red and yellow onions * 3 heads garlic * 3 or 4 bell peppers * 2 lbs. potatoes *
1 bunch beets * 2 heads bok choy * 1 bunch kohlrabi * ½ pint shallots * (bonus items:
basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary, sage and assorted hot peppers)
October (earlier)
Small Share: 1 butternut squash * 5 oz. spinach * 10 oz. broccoli * 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
* 3 heads garlic * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary, sage and assorted hot
peppers)
Large Share: 1 butternut squash * 5 oz. spinach * 10 oz. broccoli * 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
* 3 heads garlic * 1 bunch leeks * 5 oz. mixed asian greens * 5 daikon radishes * 3 or 4
bell peppers * 1 lb. potatoes * 1 bunch turnips * ½ pint shallots * 1 bunch kohlrabi * 5
oz. lettuce mix or arugula * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary, sage and
assorted hot peppers)
October (later)
Small Share: 1 head cauliflower * 5 oz. spinach * 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 12 oz. bunch kale
* 2 heads bok choy * (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary and sage)
Large Share: 1 head cauliflower * 5 oz. spinach * 5 oz. lettuce mix * 1 12 oz. bunch kale
* 2 heads bok choy * 8 oz. mixed asian greens * 2 lbs. potatoes * 1 head cabbage * 1
bunch radishes * 1 bunch turnips * 5 oz. arugula * 3 heads garlic * ½ pint shallots * 10
oz. broccoli (bonus items: basil, cilantro, dill, rosemary and sage)
November
Small Share: 5 oz. arugula * 1 bunch beets * 2 celery roots * 5 oz. spinach * 1 head
cauliflower or 10 oz. broccoli or 1 head cabbage * (bonus items: cilantro, dill, parsley,
and rosemary)
Large Share: 5 oz. arugula * 1 bunch beets * 2 celery roots * 5 oz. spinach * 1 head
cabbage * 10 oz. broccoli * 1 bunch carrots * 1 bunch turnips * 1 butternut squash * 1 lb
onions * 5 oz. lettuce mix * 2 lbs sweet potatoes * 3 heads garlic * 2 lb. potatoes * (bonus
items: cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme, and rosemary)