Source:  Kathleen Purvis, THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/5/10

Waxhaw farmer Sammy Koenigsberg did something unusual this year: He added new shares for his CSA - where customers sign up and pay in advance for a share in a farm's vegetables.

For most farms, that wouldn't be unusual. Community Supported Agriculture programs have taken off in the last few years as a way for fans of local food to have a stake in local farms. The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association now lists 70 CSA farms, up from 40 in 2006.

But for Koenigsberg's New Town Farms, it was almost unprecedented. The first farm in the area to offer CSA back in the 1990s, New Town has had a waiting list every year for 35 or 40 shares. But with sales to struggling local restaurants down, Koenigsberg figured he'd better add new customers. So he sent out an e-mail blast offering 15 new shares.

They were gone in 15 minutes, he said.

"I'm not bragging or exaggerating," he said this week. "It was touching and encouraging that the economy hasn't slowed down people's desire for local food."

Even though it's hard to look at frozen, muddy ground and imagine July's green fields, this is the time to sign up for CSAs. Koenigsberg's shares may have been snapped up, but there are a lot of other farms that will bring you a weekly bag of fresh vegetables in exchange for signing up in advance.

Most start taking applications in February and fill up by late March. Shares typically cost $400 to $750 for a percentage of a farm's harvest, and most last 20 to 26 weeks. Some farms offer half shares, and some families split shares.

At Coldwater Creek Farms in Concord, Eric Williamson and Brad Hinckley sent out a call through their farm's Facebook page this week to let customers know it's time to sign up for their 50 full shares and 25 half shares. Williamson said they'll keep taking applications through March if it doesn't fill up. But he doesn't expect it to be that long.

"Every day, I'm getting more and more. It's just a matter of people checking their e-mails."