We tried 3 San Diego CSA boxes. Here's what we found.
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Fruits and veggies from Yasukochi Family Farms. Photo: Claire Trageser/Axios
If you want a box of fruits and vegetables dropped on your doorstep, you might consider signing up for a CSA box.
The big picture: You can buy boxes or sign up for subscriptions from local farms and they deliver the fresh produce to you, so you don't want to brave the crowds at a farmer's market.
- CSA means "community supported agriculture" and is meant to help consumers support local farms.
The pluses: You get a box full of local fruits and vegetables that's all very fresh and tasty.
- You don't have to drive anywhere or shop at a market.
- It's like guilt-free grocery delivery.
The minuses: Some boxes don't let you choose what produce you get, and don't tell you what you're getting ahead of time.
- That makes planning meals or recipes a bit challenging.
- Some farms' subscription services or websites are a bit clunky and difficult to navigate.
- And it might be pricier to get a subscription box than to shop for the produce yourself.
We tried it: I tried three local CSA boxes.
🥬 The first, from Yasukochi Family Farms, cost $31.90 and took five days for delivery.
- It was easy to sign up for, and I received emails updating me on the day of delivery so I could hustle the fresh produce inside.
- The box was packed full of more fruits and vegetables than I could eat: strawberries, grapes, peas, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, a pear, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, lettuce and brussels sprouts.
- You didn't get to choose your produce, but you can also buy specific items from their website.
- Everything was super fresh and ready to eat, and my family suddenly had way more vegetables in our diet.
🍉 Next, I tried J.R. Organics Farm, which cost $46 and required signing up for a monthly subscription.
- It took five days for the delivery, which came without email alerts.
- You get more options to customize your box, and can order only fruits, only vegetables, or swap items in and out.
- I ordered the standard box, and what arrived was smaller than Yasukochi's, but everything was equally fresh and delicious.
- I got celery, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, oranges, lemons, carrots and zucchini.
- The website was clunky and I'm still trying to figure out how to cancel the next box.
đźš— Lastly, I ordered a $34.99 box from Specialty Produce. You have to pick up these boxes from their location in Mission Hills.
- You can also add other local items, like Dark Horse Coffee and Chuao Chocolate.
- I kind of worried they'd ghosted me, but a week after I ordered I got a text that my box was ready.
- It was full of unusual produce I never would have tried—dragon tongue beans, purslane and pluots to name a few—plus chard, eggplant, corn, kale, cucumbers, asparagus and tangerines.
- And a printout of recipes.
Follow the money: Buying all the fruit and veggies that came in the Yasukochi box would be about $40 at Whole Foods, based on our calculations.
- So a box of produce at $32 is a deal if you aren't choosy.
- Buying the same items at a local farmer's market would likely cost around $30.
There are other places where you can pick up boxes, including:
Plus, a few other delivery options:
The website Eating Local San Diego also keeps an updated list.