April 27, 2015 By Michael Florio
Several Hunters Point residents are seeking members to join their Community Supported Agriculture group.
The group, which is signing up members through May 2, charges a $548 fee that goes toward a Riverdale farm, which uses the funds to plant vegetables and take care of them for the season.
In exchange for the fee, each member receives a share of fresh, organic, vegetables for roughly 20 weeks throughout summer, said Tiloma Jayasinghe, a volunteer with the Hunters Point CSA.
Each share comes with six to 10 items, such as collard greens, tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, zucchini, and garlic.
Members, who sign up for the vegetable share, are also eligible to pay an additional fee of $146 to sign onto the fruit program. However, an individual has to buy into the vegetable SCA in order to be part of the fruit share.
“The basic premise is to get the vegetables share,” Jayasinghe said. “The fruit is an add-on.”
Participants in the fruit program are likely to receive fresh apples, peaches, berries and watermelons. The fruit is chemical free.
“The fruit and vegetables taste amazing,” Jayasinghe said. “Sometimes I get vegetables I have never even heard of — but they taste great.”
The group puts out a weekly newsletter informing members of what vegetables are in the pipeline and some recipes as to how they can be used.
Last year the CSA had about 70 members. The organizers are looking for a similar number this year and are hoping to get a big uptick in first-time members.
“I would love to get new members in the door,” Jayasinghe said.
The group is led by volunteers. Some volunteers sign up to receive the fruit and vegetable deliveries, which are sent to Alewife, the bar located at 5-14 51st Ave. Other volunteers apportion the shares to members who will then come and pick them up.
Any unclaimed shares are donated to City Harvest.
The CSA started in 2013 and it has been working with Riverdale-based Golden Earthworm Organic Farm each year.
For more information, click Hunters Point CSA
