I have been a member of Native Offerings CSA for about 5-6 years now, and every summer I look…read moreforward to their farm fresh produce grown using organic practices. There are 4 different options for pick up: in Orchard Park on Tuesdays from 3:30-6:30, at the Williamsville Lehigh Depot on Wednesdays from 3:30-6:30pm, and in Buffalo at Lafayette Church on Thursdays from 4-6:30pm. I actually pick up at the Williamsville location, and like another reviewer said, if you go later in the pick-up time there may be a narrower selection of produce. However, if you go at 3:30pm, you run into the rabid soccer moms fighting for that last bunch of cilantro. So I try to target 5:00 for selection and my own sanity.
There are 3 types of shares: full, small, and individual. We are a family of 2 so I've always gotten the individual share. It's not an overwhelming amount of vegetables, but its not enough to last me the whole week (I supplement with Wegmans and farmer's market for items I want that aren't in the share). A typical individual share is 1-2 bunches of greens or lettuce, 1 pepper, 2 zucchinis, 3/4 pound of green beans, choice of a bunch of beets or carrots, a bundle of herbs. There are usually substitutions if there's something you aren't a fan of. They post on their website and on Facebook what the anticipated vegetables are that week, although sometimes there will be a variance, since you are dealing with Mother Nature. This year the individual share works out to about $13 a week, but you pay up front for the season (although there is an option to pay in 2 installments).
One of the things I love about being a part of a CSA is the opportunity to try new vegetables that I've never eaten or cooked before, and it forces you to get really creative with your cooking! Things like bok choy, collard greens, tomatillos, Japanese turnips, swiss chard... I discovered my love of these items through the CSA. The beginning of the summer share is heavy on the greens, but at the height of summer you'll be enjoying some amazing produce, picked fresh that morning.
I had done the fruit share for the last 2 years, but this year I'm not going to renew. It just got to be too much, even though I split a share with my friend. I just didn't have the time to deal with 3.5 pounds of peaches. However, I'm sure this year I will look longingly at the fresh strawberries that always smell so delicious!
You can now manage your share online, such that if you know you're going to be out of town a certain week, you can move that share to another week for pick up. Or if you forget last minute, you can have a friend pick up your share.
There are still shares available for this summer, just go to their website and sign up! You won't be disappointed!