Fresh idea for supporting agriculture

CSA members buy shares of farm produce

Kaitlyn Watson (left) joins the harvest with Lily Flaherty and her mom, Kathleen Flaherty, at Tangerini's farm in Millis last July. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

It would require too much ink to list all the reasons to join a Community Supported Agriculture program, but your belly, your pocketbook, and your quality of life are at the top of this list.

A CSA program offers members a chance to buy shares from a farm during the winter (costs average $500 to $600). Then, most of the spring, all of the summer, and the fall (into the first deep frost), you receive between five and 20 pounds of fresh food weekly, often delivered to a central location for pick up.

Farms get an infusion of funds in cash-strapped spring, and without a middleman they receive all the money. As for members, they share in the risk and the bounty. If the broccoli crop fails, nobody sees much of it. If tomatoes are going gangbusters, every week will give you loads of these sweet, ripe gifts.

Some farms want members to pick up; others drop off at several locations. For an extra fee, some offer a bicycle delivery service that pedals your share to your door.

You can buy full and half shares, depending on how many are in your household. You can get spring or winter shares, so factor this in when deciding; fruit, egg, or cheese shares; a chance to pick your own produce without charge.

Members say that their week begins to take shape when the box of produce arrives. Picking it up becomes an adventure. Dinners turn into spontaneous creations crafted around produce that must be eaten right away. Vegetables you've never seen, or would never buy, are suddenly on the table - and you find you actually like them. If you never heard of kohlrabi, for instance, you're in for a treat; if you've got too much food or you're going away, share your bounty with grateful friends.

When the season is over, you'll feel like something is missing from your days. That may mean you have to sign up for a winter share.