Promised Land C.S.A.

Sign up early, everything has been simply delicious. I have eaten so well this summer/​fall and have learned to use ingredients that I was unfamiliar with. I am sad that this week marks the last week of my farm share but my, was it memorable. I was also very fortunate to have been able to go out to Oles Family Farm and visit the family that worked so hard to fed me and other families all season long. What an incredible, lovely family. I feel honored to have eaten their goods and support their operation. This is how everyone should eat. You can taste the difference. I can’t wait to do the farm share next year. Until then, bring on the root veggies!

It’s been several years since I did Promised Land and I will tell you why. I do Porter Farms and Native Offerings every year, so I think I have good experience for comparing.
Promised Land is by far the most expensive CSA in the area. It was the most expensive when I first did it and when I thought about joining again two years later, they had DOUBLED their prices. Compare this to Porter Farms which has raised their price less than 10% total in the last 6 years. PL sells out, so it is pure supply and demand, but I would never pay that much.
In my view, a CSA should be less expensive than the farmers market. You prepay, you take the risk that this year could be a bad crop, and you don’t get to choose what you want.
Pro: They have fruit. Their blueberries are the best I have ever had in my life.
Con: They have fruit, It doesn’t keep well. Sometime I would pick it up, right on time, take it straight home, and the berries already had mold.
Pro: You get some fancy and unique items you won’t find in other shares.
Con: You get less volume than any other share.
Pro: They have potatoes and all different colors of them. It was so fun getting these. You got lots of other fun things you might not buy at the farmers market, (mostly because they are so expensive).
Con: It’s not actually cheaper than going to the Farmers Market, so you could just pick out what you want and as much as you want each week instead.
Pro: It comes pre-​boxed. You don’t have to remember to bring your own bags or worry about the bag it’s in tearing.
Con: You are expected the bring the box back next week.
Pro: There are multiple pick up sites.
Con: The different sites don’t seem to be even. I did it the same year as a friend who had a Tuesday pickup in Amherst and I had a Thursday pickup in Buffalo. She often had things I never got but the reverse was never true.
All in all, Promised Land is a fun fancy share for high income folks who don’t want to bothered going to the farmers market or hate the idea of getting «too much» produce.

To my knowledge, they are only one of three CSAs in WNY (Native Offerings, Promised Land, and Porter Farms) that actively distribute shares within city limits rather than requiring a visit to the farm to pick up the weekly share. P.L. farms specifically has distributions at Snyder, Buffalo, Lancaster and at the farm (Corfu). In addition to vegetable shares they offer fruit shares too. I only know of Native Offerings CSA and Promised Land CSA that offer both types of CSA varieties to the Buffalo area. Another admirable thing about the farm is that they use very sustainable rotation crop practices including use of Sudan grass cover crop.
What sets this CSA apart from the other ones is the wider variety of vegetables offered in their shares: fennel, kohlrabi, leek and tomatillos. Too bad their website says they are sold out of 2012 shares. Folks you usually have to sign up 2 months ahead of the first CSA distribution if you want to ensure a share.
From their website —
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between the member and the farmer; the member receives fresh locally grown produce at a fair price and the farmer receives a fair wage for his work. The direct relationship allows people to know who, how, where, and when their food is grown and re-​establishes the connection between agriculture and the community. Members buy a share of the harvest, and each week throughout the growing season they receive a variety of produce. The variety and volume supplied throughout the season reflects the nature of farming which is dependent on weather and growing conditions. Thus the members share with the farmer the inherent risks and benefits of farming.