I like to call myself a vegetable professional. After making my living as an organic vegetable farmer for 10 years, there probably isn’t a vegetable grown in North America that I haven’t cooked, and only a scant few I haven’t also grown, harvested, and sold. In short, I know a lot about vegetables.

“If someone had handed me a large bouquet of flat-leaf parsley it would have died, alone and rotting in the back of my fridge.”

This hasn’t always been the case. When I began my farming career as an intern working on organic veggie farms, I had never eaten mustard greens and or even heard of celeriac. I knew exactly one way to prepare beets—roasted, with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese. I had zero ideas for how to serve up less popular veggies like kohlrabi, radishes, and rutabaga. And if someone had handed me a large, fragrant bouquet of flat-leaf parsley it would have died, alone and rotting in the back of my fridge.

Though my farming internships didn’t yield much in the way of a salary, I did get all the produce I could eat. Combine that perk with the very few social options in rural areas, and I was left with lots of free evenings and literally armloads of free veggies. So I learned to cook for myself, night after quiet country night. By the end of my first farming season I could turn every vegetable we grew on the farm into something delicious.

CSAs are having a moment, with shares selling out way in advance. Here, the author poses with a stellar crop of sweet onions she packed one summer for her own CSA customers.

I mention all this because you may be participating in one of the few consumer booms small farms have had a chance to experience in quite some time. Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, are having a moment. Many farms report shares selling out months in advance.

The massive disruptions introduced by COVID-19 have made many of us newly aware of the fragility of our food supply system. Images of milk being dumped down the drain and cabbages rotting in the field, along with stories of meat processing facilities turning up as hotspots for infections, have been enough to make us seek different ways to source at least part of our daily sustenance.

Kelly Kiefer, and her husband Jeff Schrieber, run Three Sisters Community Farm in Campbellsport, Wisconsin. The farm’s CSA program normally fills up by the beginning of May, but this year they hit their goal by mid-March. Even after they sold out, people kept calling. “For the next two weeks my email inbox was full with people asking to be put on the waiting list,” she says, “and we were getting phone calls asking about it, which really never happens.”

Clare Strader, who works as an Organic Produce Educator for the FairShare CSA Coalition in Madison, Wisconsin, confirms that both state and national CSA sales data reflect Kiefer’s experience. A number of farms have doubled or even tripled the number of shares they offer. “One well established farm increased their CSA from 80 members to 250,” says Strader. “Another farm went from 110 members to 350. Many farms have also had to turn people away.”

Kelly Kiefer, of Three Sisters Community Farm, is hustling to keep up with the new demand for CSA shares.

For much of the small-scale ag world this is big news. The truth is, before the pandemic hit CSAs weren’t doing so well. The number of farms selling CSAs has steadily declined. Data collected by the USDA in 2015 indicates that 7,398 farms in the United States sold produce, a significant drop from 2012, when the USDA counted 12,617 farms.

Even with the drop, many CSA farms nationwide have been underselling shares. In her own coalition, Strader notes that for the last 10 years the percentage of farms selling out of shares has ranged between a high of 58 percent in 2012 and a low of 36 percent in 2018. “So, the fact that 97 percent of farms sold out this year is a huge increase,” she says.

Many farmers I know realize that outlasting the pandemic requires making adjustments to the original CSA model. Meal kit and grocery delivery options, along with the popularity of local farmer’s markets, may have contributed to the decline in CSA sales. But they’ve also inspired change. To become more competitive, for instance, many more small farms are moving away from the standard one-size-fits-all weekly CSA box towards smaller, more customized options.

“Being certain of where your food comes from offers sustenance to the soul, as well as to the body.”

My hope is that this second chance for CSAs turns out to be a win for both farmers and consumers. Farmers, because without steady revenue it’s really hard to run a business. And consumers, because I know firsthand how much care goes into growing healthy vegetables and the benefits small farms can bring to a community. In a time of unparalleled uncertainty for most of us, being certain of where your food comes from offers sustenance to the soul, as well as to the body.

KEEP IT FRESH: STORAGE TIPS

I’ve pulled together a few tips on how to make the most of your CSA, whether you’re joining one for the first time (thank you!) or just considering joining one. For a lot of first-timers, it can be overwhelming to receive so many vegetables at once, some of them unfamiliar. Plus, it’s an entirely different shopping experience, one that depends on what farmers put in your shopping cart—though, as mentioned, this is changing for many farms, which are rolling out a “choose your own” style of CSA.

Here are the most frequently asked questions I found myself answering when I was running my own CSA on Wild Ridge Farm—about a 45-minute drive north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Should I wash my produce?

Most farms will wash nearly everything you get in your CSA box. There are exceptions for crops that don’t store as well when wet, like green beans or basil, and crops that might get badly bruised in the washing process, like tomatoes.

Regardless, it’s recommended you give everything another wash at home, just as you would with any grocery store produce. Additionally, if you’ve had a lot of rain on the day of or the day before delivery, your veggies might be a bit dirtier.

If your veggies are consistently coming to you dirtier than you’d like, contact the farm and let them know. Chances are that if it’s negatively affecting your experience, they’ll appreciate the feedback.

How should I store all the produce?

Removing roots from their edible greens and storing them separately in plastic will keep both fresh.

Leafy greens: Loose leaf greens like salad mix and spinach often come pre-bagged in plastic and can go right in the fridge. Other greens, like kale and chard, will often come bunched and should be put in plastic bags, to lock in the moisture and keep them fresh.

Cucumbers, zucchini: Store these in the fridge—no container necessary. Their thick skin holds in moisture so they don’t wilt as quickly as other items.

Melons: Leave uncut melons on the counter (any melon you get in your box should be whole). But if it smells ripe and you don’t plan on eating it right away, store in your fridge.

Tomatoes: Put these right on the counter—no refrigeration needed. In fact, you really don’t want to put tomatoes in the fridge because temperatures below 50 degrees actually sap their flavor.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions: No need to refrigerate these. Store them as you would any dry goods, on the countertop or in a drawer.

Scallions, green onion: Scallions are a type of onion, but these keep best in the fridge.

Root vegetables: Cut off any leaves or stems still attached to your veggies. Greens pull moisture out of their roots and removing them helps them stay fresher longer. Bag the roots and any greens separately.

Pro Tip: Wilted root vegetables can sometimes be salvaged by giving them a refrigerated bath. Put your veggies in a container, cover with cold water, and leave overnight. There’s a good chance they’ll crisp right up.

Herbs: Hardier herbs, like thyme and rosemary, can go in the fridge, or be left out on a plate to dry and use later. Sometimes I hang these bunches around the kitchen for the visual effect. Leafier herbs, like cilantro and parsley, do okay in the fridge, but the best way to store them is in a jar of water on your counter with a plastic bag over the top.

An example of what a share earned you as a CSA member of Wild Ridge Farm, formerly located in Fredonia, Wisconsin.

What is the best way to get through all these veggies without wasting anything?

Eat the most perishable things first. This usually means leafy greens first and root veggies last. Cabbage keeps well, as do peppers. Since lettuce is usually among the first to fade, plan on a big salad the night you get your box.

What if I can’t use UP all the produce each week?

My best advice here is to learn some quick ways to freeze your bounty. If you live in a place with a very cold winter like I do, you’ll be grateful for that surplus of local produce in your freezer come January! If you consistently have problems using up the box, see if a friend wants to get in on the action and split your box with you.

Can I eat turnip leaves? What about carrot tops?

If it comes in your box, you can eat it. Beets are closely related to swiss chard, for example. Their leaves are very similar and can be cooked the same way. Turnip greens are related to kale and not quite as fibrous. But the leaves do have fine hairs so it’s best to eat cooked, rather than raw. I don’t eat carrot tops because there are a lot better tasting greens out there. But if you don’t want to ditch them, try using them to make pesto, or throwing them in a soup stock.

What if I don’t want turnips or lettuce every week?

If you want more control over what you get, seek out a farm that offers a choose-your-own option. If you’ve already signed up with a farm and don’t have that option, think of it as an opportunity to get creative. Here are a few of the ways I’ve found to make the most of CSAs, and liven up dinners.

USE IT UP: COOKING IDEAS

These shredded radishes just need a delicious dressing to become a salad.

MAKE STOCK: Making vegetable stock, the basis of soups and many recipes, just means simmering food in water. Save any bits of the veggies you don’t or can’t use, like carrot tops or onion skins, and put them in the fridge or freezer until you have a few cups worth. Then, toss your chopped bits in a pot, cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and let simmer for an hour or two. Boom! Stock made.

MASH OR PUREE: You can make anything into a mash—winter squash, pumpkin, rutabaga, turnip, cauliflower, celeriac and parsnip. Just boil it, add some liquid and seasoning, and blend, mash, or whip it.

MIX VEGGIES INTO COLESLAW: You’ve had coleslaw made with cabbage. But what about coleslaw with kohlrabi and radish? One of my favorite ways to use these crispy, vitamin C-packed veggies is to shred them with cabbage and carrots, and then toss them with my favorite dressing.

FREEZE IT: The basics of freezing produce are as follows:

a) Cut your veggies to the size you want when you take them out of the freezer to use. If you aren’t sure, just aim for bite-sized chunks.

This pesto uses basil leaves, but swaps out garlic scapes for garlic cloves, and sunflower seeds for pine nuts. Improvisation is easy when cooking with fresh vegetables.

b) Blanch everything for a minute or two. In the world of cooking, “blanching” is just a fancy way of saying boil briefly and then cool quickly. Add water to the biggest pot you have, and boil. Then fill your sink, or another large pot or bowl, with ice and water. When the boiling water is ready, toss in your vegetables. After they’ve boiled for a minute or two, spoon them out of the water and dunk in the ice-bath.

c) Drain the veggies, preferably in a colander or other type of strainer.

d) Place the veggies in a single layer on a cooking sheet, and stick in your freezer.

e) Once frozen, use a spatula to remove the veggies from the baking sheet, put in a freezer safe container, and store in the freezer.

MAKE PESTO: Still wondering what to do with a large bouquet of parsley? Three words: pesto, gremolata, and chimichurri. You can make pesto out of almost any leafy herb or green, along with ingredients like oils, nuts, garlic, salt and/or lemon juice for a delicious sauce, marinade or topping. Gremolata is traditionally made from chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest and is used to brighten up deep flavors in Italian dishes. Chimichurri uses parsley blended with vinegar and olive oil, which makes for a wetter consistency. Blending up herbs with oil and stashing them in the fridge extends their shelf life for a few days, so it’s also a great preservation technique!

Aside from the questions, the most frequent comment I heard from our members is that getting the CSA box was like a weekly Christmas present. If you want the freshest produce possible, a membership will deliver vegetables with the most vibrant colors, strongest fragrance, and incomparable flavors. And when you master the basics of cooking with farm fresh food, you will likely never be satisfied with anything less.

Alissa Moore is a News Fellow based in Milwaukee, WI.