There are lots of different ways to get a bounty of fresh, organically grown vegetables in the summer in Homer, right? You can shop at the Homer Farmers Market, pick up produce at the grocery stores, order through the online food hub or even grow your own veggies.
So why do our CSA Masters choose (and love) a weekly vegetable box CSA instead? Here’s what they told us.
1. They are busy people
CSA Masters really appreciate having a box delivered to them each week. They are busy with work, children, summer visitors, dipnetting, etc. They don’t have to remember to make a trip to the farmers market when it is open. They don’t have to deal with crowded grocery store lines. Each week, their box arrives and they fill up their fridge with the freshest produce on the Kenai Peninsula. Done.
2. They know they are getting the best
When our super-sweet cherry tomatoes come in, they don’t make it to our farmers market booth. That’s because they go right in our CSA boxes first. Same with our first “candy carrots.” It will be weeks before they make it to market, and even then, they will be sold out in a matter of minutes. CSA Masters know they can sleep in on Saturday mornings and still get the best our farm has to offer, every week, all summer. Pretty smart, huh?
3. They love the freshest, local veggies
CSA Masters know that vegetables grown right here in their community are the most nutritious foods they can eat. After they are picked, vegetables start losing vitamins and nutrients right away, even if they are refrigerated. In Alaska, everything on the grocery store shelves is at least a week old, and many things are a lot older. That cauliflower may look good, but many of its valuable nutrients are gone. Furthermore, small-scale farms like Homer Hilltop Farm pay very close attention to the nutrition of their soil with biannual soil testing. We amend each spring and fall with organic compost and things like fishbone meal to create the perfect balance for our plants. And guess what! All that care results in the most nutritious (and delicious) vegetables you can buy.
4. They like getting a good deal
Our CSA boxes are filled with about 10 items each week and carefully calculated so they average $50 a week. That’s a seasonal value of $1,100. But our CSA Masters get their weekly boxes for much less by signing up for the Spring Start Up rate of $900 — that’s $10 off every box all season. Half-share CSA members get the same deal, too (just divide by 2). Pretty smart, huh! They aren’t called masters for nothing!
5. They love supporting local farmers
This one makes me blush, but it’s absolutely true. Some of our CSA Masters have been with us since Homer Hilltop Farm packed its very first boxes 5 years ago, and let me tell you, things were pretty different then. (We were spinning our salad greens one bag at a time in a hand-cranked home kitchen salad spinner, for one! OMG!) That’s a long time to stick with us, and I know it’s not all about our great produce. Our CSA Masters feel strongly that knowing your farmer is important, and they want to support small-scale agriculture in their community. We know that, and we think about it every time we pack their boxes. Our CSA Masters aren’t just customers, they are part of our farm family. You can’t say that about your six-pack of romaine lettuce from COSTCO!
If this sounds like you, you’re in luck. There is still time to sign up for your Homer Hilltop CSA through our new website at homerhilltopfarm.com.
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