Matt and I are moving to Carroll Gardens in a couple of weeks and I was excited about the prospect of joining, despite the mixed reviews, the food co-op in Park Slope. I’ve been reading about CSA (community supported agriculture) on various food blogs and looked up to see if there was one in my future neighborhood and what it entailed. I thought that you actually had to go work in garden a la a John Steinbeck novel. And I pretty much stink at gardening. I can’t even get herb gardens in my kitchen going.

What I found: For $475* you get 24 weeks of fresh, locally grown organic vegetables. Or if you want, you can get a half share for $245. They also offer farm fresh, free-range, antibiotic and hormone free eggs, organic flowers and local farm (but not organic) fruit.

You just pay, show up to the designated location (i.e. Saturdays from 10am-12pm) and pick up your junk. You also have to volunteer for two pick-ups during the season. Which, for me, may be fun if I get to meet local gourmands I can invite over for dinner and then take advantage of them by having them Pokey-sit. Or, at the very least, get good stories about hippies acting all weird and preachy. Or challenge pale, weak yuppie men to fisticuffs for my own amusement.

Locations in the five boroughs and Long Island: http://www.justfood.org/csa/locations/

*Yes, it seems expensive, but it works out to be less than $20 a week - which is on par to how much I spend on vegetables anyway. And less than half of what I buy now is organic. Can you believe Whole Foods wants $4 for a bunch of celery?! The Park Slope csa is only $340. Upper West Side is $600 and also offer meat and raw milk.