CSA sign-up season has officially kicked off in New York, and, as seems to be the case every year, memberships are getting gobbled up faster than they can be publicized. Lest you – like me – be one of those people who mails their taxes at 11:59 PM on April 15th and purchases plane tickets while on the subway ride to the 
airport – this leaves you in a bit of a pickle; a pickle that, from what I can tell, has only three appropriate courses of action:
1) You can become a member at a CSA that isn't in your neighborhood, or try joining another branch that is. The East Village, for example, has more than one CSA branch, while Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens have branches that are only a few blocks apart. The benefits of this method: legitimate CSA membership, the possibility of meeting new and interesting people who live more than a block away. The drawbacks: added transportation time, ugly and guilt-inducing emissions if you choose to transport your food home in a car.
2) You can offer to be the pick-up alternate for your more prepared and organized friends. This tends to work best if you have a full roster of CSA members in your social circle, and all of them skip town at least a couple times between mid-June and November. The benefits of this method: free food, the appreciation of those who hate the idea of their memberships going to waste. The drawbacks: Must have friends. Friends must be CSA members. Oh yeah, and you're a moocher.
3) You can join now. While you're a bit late to join those CSAs with extremely enthusiastic/borderline nut-brained members (we're talking abut you, Clinton Hill), there are still memberships available at other branches throughout the five boroughs, including the popular Park Slope and Fort Greene branches, and the new Crown Heights branch. Log on to Justfood.org for more information about what branches are near you and how to join.
Written by Kristen Meinzer
