We had a summer and then a winter share from Enterprise Farms, located in western Mass. but with an Arlington drop-off point (someone's garage), but chose not to renew for a second summer.

Unlike with our first CSA, from the local Busa Farm, we didn't stop because we were unhappy, although the winter share was not satisfying — substantially more money for less variety: We had torrents of grapefruit and beets, which we didn't want and couldn't use, while even things we do like, such as potatoes, were so overwhelming that we came to miss any other starch. I would not recommend it.

But we would have been happy to stick with it through the summer. We just felt (more so me than G.) that we wouldn't need it. At the family level, we have 50 plants or so in the ground, plus whatever produce will result from the community farm we're in. And what we don't get — no fruit, for example — we can get from the farmers' markets or Wilson Farms, which is a local business, even if it imports much of its fruit from afar.

We had considerations at the societal level as well: We want to support local farmers, and we're willing to spend for our principles, to a point. The issue with Busa was that, in supporting a local farm, we weren't getting an acceptable return; we didn't feel we needed the same financial deal as from a supermarket, but we weren't willing to abandon family principles of thrift and efficiency in the name of local agriculture.

In this case, we weren't concerned that Enterprise would suffer for our "defection." My understanding is that there is more demand for farm shares than there is supply.

In addition, of course, going to farmers' markets is also supporting local farmers, and what we're doing in our two gardens could not be more local.

Meanwhile, especially after our winter experience, I'm looking forward to having more choice. Yes, we're locked into what we planted for that section of our food supply, but we'll be able to supplement that at the markets in a way a share wouldn't let us.