SHOW NOTES

REAL Talk on Grocery Prices, CSA's & Starting Seeds with Hilary & Elise

Release date March 4, 2024

**We had a little trouble with our audio this time around. Honestly, we're happy we were able to save the audio even if it's a little loud in the beginning and not as loud as we'd like in the later part of the episode. As we've said before, we're a work in progress!**

In this episode, we discuss the cost of groceries, CSA's and seed starting tips with Elise!

GROCERY PRICES

We discuss the cost of groceries. We wonder how and where our listeners shop for groceries.

For those willing to share:

How much do you spend weekly on groceries?

Where do you shop mostly?

Do you shop at farmer’s markets or local farm stands?

Do you buy meat & eggs locally?

INFO ON CSA’s 

What is a CSA?  

CSAs provide a way to create a local farm economy that has people and land at its center. Farmers and community members come together and commit to support the growing of food in a manner that is ecologically sustainable.

How does it work? 

Through pledging seasonal financial support people become shareholders, creating a community whereby the inherent risks of farming are shared.The growers/farmers commit to growing the food in a healthy, sustainable, regenerative way and bounty is shared by all.

Cost? 

Most C.S.A.’s have a few different ways of collecting money, some you may pay in full. Others monthly or seasonally, my friends at Cabbage throw farm use a C.S.A. card to keep track of their membership.

Different types of CSA’s:

Vegetables & fruit, flowers, meat, eggs and chicken.

Vegetable- Freshly harvested produce is distributed weekly throughout the growing season. Often will include some fruit and flowers as an option or add on. 

Meat- Once a month animals are harvested and the cuts of meat are distributed to members. Some CSA’s change up the cuts of meat they get monthly to ensure members get a chance to cook and taste different cuts of meat. 

Benefits of joining? 

There are many benefits of joining a CSA. The first benefit starts with helping your local farmer plan for their growing season. Joining a CSA will help upfront the costs of purchasing seed, soil and labor. By purchasing from a CSA, it helps create a steady income for farmers as well as creating a sustainable bond between local farmers and their community. The other benefit is the price to the customer. The customer will pay a set price of their share and not an individual price per vegetable or cut of meat while offering them the opportunity to try a variety of vegetables and different cuts of meat. Some members request the “weird” cuts such as offal parts which we love to hear how they prepare these different cuts of meat.

Risks of joining? 

One of the risks of joining a CSA includes weather. If farmers have a bad growing year it is tough on vegetable farmers and their crops. You might not have the bountiful crops you love most, especially if there is excessive heat or your favorite cool crop harvest might be shortened. As for meat CSA’s, there is a shortage of butchers in our area offering USDA stamps for cuts of meat. New Jersey requires farmers selling direct to consumer to utilize a USDA butcher, however, the state does not provide one in our entire state. Establishing butcher dates that work with our pick up dates can be tough. Other risks can include predators, pests and natural disasters. 

Local CSA’s mentioned:

Haring Family Farm: Meat CSA (only 8 shares left!) www.haringfamilyfarm.com

Cabbage Throw Farm: www.cabbagethrowfarm.com

INFO ON STARTING SEEDS 

• Start with good soil, seed starter soil is important. 
• Seeds can be bought anywhere.
• Moist soil is key to getting your seeds started. 
• Keeping soil moist is important to help seeds germinate.
• Once your seeds have started you can start bottom watering to help build the roots system. 
• Before you transplant outside you NEED to harden your seedlings. Hardening your seedlings is necessary so that once you plant them outside they’re not sun and wind burned. 
• The best way to harden your plants is bringing them outside during the day and bringing them in at night. After your plants have established you need to check your zone to know the proper time to transplant outside. Transplant AFTER the risk of frost, once your soils are over the temperature 50 degrees 

 Where we mention to buy seeds:

Johnny Seeds: www.johnnyseeds.com

High Mowing: www.highmowingseeds.com

You can buy seeds at Walmart, Tractor Supply, Dollar Store, local grocery store, etc.