With more and more New Yorkers clamoring for the freshest greens you can buy, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) trucks are popping up in all five boroughs. Southside CSA is one of the latest branches of the trend to open this year, serving the Greenpoint and Williamsburg areas of Brooklyn.

As with NYC Greenmarkets, the ubiquitous citywide farmers market, CSA shares vegetables, fruits, eggs and wine hail from Hudson Valley farmlands. However, there is a key distinction between the systems.

“You can’t choose your product, but you are sharing the farmer’s reward,” said Esther Giangrande, a member of CSA’s core group. Ms. Giangrande partnered with the other members of the founding group through the Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA Low Income Fundraising Committee. She had been using CSA’s current pickup location, Bridget Urban Wine Bar in Williamsburg, as a venue for fundraisers benefiting Greenpoint Soup Kitchen.

The way a CSA works is that before the harvest season begins (for Southside CSA products, the season lasts 20 weeks, from June 22 to November 2), members decide if they would like to purchase a full or half stake. All CSAs are based on a similar concept. Stock prices are literally starting capital for the farmer, depending on what is needed to produce the promised crops for the season. For vegetables only, full actions cost $ 400 per season, and members pick up their weekly supply of vegetables every Monday night Bridget. With half shares, which cost $ 200, the collection is done only every two weeks. However, over the course of the 20 weeks, the different actions amount to $ 20 per week, roughly the amount the farmer would receive at the market for his produce. Because the total shares are so large, it is not uncommon for three or four locals to split up the product. Before each pickup, a list of incoming vegetables is posted on the Southside CSA blog, allowing time for members to find suitable recipes or host impromptu dinners.

Southside CSA is unique in that the action has a spicy twist – in keeping with the neighborhood’s Latino tradition, vegetables include several staples for Mexican meals, such as sweet corn, cilantro, and quelites from the Mexican-influenced MimoMex farm. , along with characteristic products. from the Hudson Valley.

For some, the appeal of Southside lies in the uncertainty of the outcome of the harvest season. Although there is an expectation that the promised product will be delivered with the payment of the share money, nothing is final. In that way, CSAs offer more than just fresh vegetables, they offer insight into the agricultural experience.

Another unique aspect of the CSA system is that there are no reserved staff other than the few founding members; instead, it relies on the dedication of its members to volunteer to help organize the collections (much like a food cooperative). A member-based workforce is what makes Southside so sustainable: By handling the distribution and marketing of incoming produce, the CSA saves busy farmers the burden of worrying about warehousing and shipping. Standard duties of the shift include gathering and unloading the fruit and vegetable truck, preparing the fruit and vegetable pickup, and helping distribute the fruits and vegetables to the other members.

Southside CSA is more than artichoke heart; Its core members are committed to local outreach and remain committed to providing fresh food for all by donating leftover vegetables to soup kitchens. Southside CSA has partnered with Craig’s Kitchen, a local community action group, which supplies soup kitchens in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. The organization shares CSA’s belief in fresh, organic, healthy foods for all.

The CSA movement has had incredible momentum, with the opening of more than 18 new distribution centers this year in addition to Southside (there were about 50 CSAs in 2008); Compared to NYC Greenmarket, which has 46 locations across all boroughs, it appears CSA is becoming a favorite local destination for fresh food. Not only does a CSA membership get you more beets for your money, it is also more convenient because there is likely one in your neighborhood.

[The Bridge Wine Share, wines exclusively from the Bridge Vineyard of North Fork, Long Island, are $360 full/$180 half. The NY Wine Share, a mix of reds and whites from the various wine-producing regions of the state from Long Island to the Finger Lakes to the Hudson Valley, are $400 full/$200 half. Like the produce and egg shares, wine shares are also distributed Monday evenings at Bridget. The vegetable and fruit shares complement weekly wine offerings.]