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Aug 24, 2006 6:48 pm US/Eastern
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Stocks, Bonds & Fresh Veggies In Your Portfolio
Investing In Local Farms Can Be A Cheap Way Of Getting Produce
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
Instead of stocking up of vegetables at the supermarket or local grocery store, some consumers are opting to get their veggies by investing in local farms, which provide a portion of each harvest's crop.
"We get better stuff than we get at the grocery store," said Lisa Oram, who loves to cook with fresh veggies.
Oram is part of what is called a Community Supported Agriculture Farm, or CSA.
"There's about 3,000 of these farms that are doing it."
Investing in a CSA works as follows: At the beginning of each farming season, consumers can buy shares of the upcoming crop, which on average costs about $400. Throughout the season, the investor receives a set amount of whatever is being harvested.
"That share roughly feeds a family with two adults and however many kids there are," said Dan Kaplan of Brookfield Farm.
If you live in a city or suburb, many farms offer drop off locations, similar to the farm in Lexington, which Oram said certainly saves her money.
"I'm sure if we went to the grocery store to buy organic produce which is what we're getting at the farm, we would spend a lot more than we do in one season's share," Oram said.
A recent study found savings between 60 to 150 percent over retail prices for the same amount of organic produce. But remember, as with any investment, there are no guarantees.
"Shareholders buy into the risk and reward of farming, so if there's a bad crop, we'll share that loss and if there's a bounty, we all share that excess," Kaplan said.
A share typically amounts to between 300 to 500 pounds of produce per season.
For more information on CSAs, visit the "Related Links" section on the right-hand side of this page.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)