What to Expect in the First Year

IMG_2661If this is your first year as a sharer, you are in for a wonderful experience! The vegetables are fresh, delicious, diverse, and abundant.  The quantity of vegetables will increase as the season progresses.  It is possible to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of produce the first year unless you come up with a system.  Here are some tips for managing your share:

  • Schedule some time to plan how you will use the vegetables that week. Plan to use the most perishable produce first. Check here for information on how long you can expect various produce to stay fresh.
  • Freeze, dry, can, or give away any vegetables that you won’t eat during the week.  For guidance on freezing, click here.
  • Invest in a good vegetarian cookbook so you will have a resource to turn to when you receive a vegetable you’ve never cooked before.  Serving up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman is particularly well matched to the farm share season.
  • Explore the many delicious recipes on this website, which have been tested by sharers over the years.  Keep an open mind to all the varieties of produce, and try the vegetables that you are unfamiliar with.
  • Don’t leave your produce sitting in a hot car.
  • Dunking greens in cold water before you put them in the refrigerator will extend their lives.
  • In general, don’t wash or cut up anything until you are ready to use it.  Everything will stay fresh much longer if it is left whole and dirty.  Putting veggies in a ventilated plastic bag is a good idea.
  • When you pick up your share if there are items you do not want, please don’t make any spontaneous substitutions, as this will result in someone missing items later in the day.  You may leave unwanted items on the put and take box under the pavilion, and you may take anything you will use that is in that box.

Updated on August 16, 2019