We took one of our farmer's CSA shares from last year and looked at how much the same amounts of the same vegetables would cost at local stores.
Sample CSA share:
- 1 handful of basil
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 head of cabbage
- 4 heads of broccoli
- 4 cucumbers
- 5 zucchini
- 1 bunch of swiss chard
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 handful of greens
The cost of the CSA share worked out to $19 per week, so we can estimate that CSA members received all these vegetables for $19. Here is how some local grocery stores stack up:
Bravo: $18.64 (conventionally grown*)
Fairway: $25.15 (conventionally grown*)
Fairway: $51.99 (organic)
Garden of Eden: $33.76 (conventionally grown*)
Garden of Eden: $36.26 (organic)
Pathmark: $24.86 (conventionally grown*)
Pathmark: $34.09 (organic)
Whole Foods: $43.07 (organic)
At approximately $19 per weekly share, the CSA costs about the same as the Bravo supermarket and is much cheaper than the other organic options in the community.
*Produce that is "conventionally grown" may be treated with chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and even sewer sludge used as fertilizer. Organic produce, just like the vegetables in our CSA, is grown without any synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. Click here for more information about pesticides and your health.