Grace and I decide to try decade-old neighborhood, Chelsea CSA. Each share costs $520, roughly $20/week. Actually, there’s a waiting list. We get our share after a member moves away from the area. We’ve only missed a few weeks, and pay a pro-rated $411.56. On tuesday, I went to Hudson Guild community center to pickup our first share of organic fair trade sustainable veggies.

For a volunteer organization, Chelsea CSA runs quite efficiently. They start the pickups at 4:00p sharp. There are already 4 of us waiting. I’ve brought three bags to carry the veggies home. Large milk crates with printed paper descriptions and rations line a long table: “Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage — 1 head, Summer Squash — 2 pounds, Rat Tail Radishes — 1 bunch.”

Someone must have mistaken my fascination with the display for bewilderment, because she all but giggled, “Someone help him, it’s his first time; a virgin.”

I’m not sure about vegetable-picking etiquette. Do I just take whatever is on top, or can I look for the best looking ones? To play it safe on my first time, I just grab whatever my hand touches and carefully stuff them in my bags. I didn’t anticipate dirt, and it’s all over the veggies. But I find it oddly satisfying to get my hands dirty from the bright red beets.