I posted an article last summer about my experience with the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. I've just heard from the Homeless Garden Project, and it looks as if CSA will be even better this year!

Here's how it works. You sign up at the start of the summer and then go, every Friday afternoon, to your chosen pick-up location. There, you pick up your "share" of fruits and vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Everything is organic and locally-grown. The selection changes weekly, based on what's in season.

This year, half-shares (for 2 people) and full shares (for 4) have been replaced with a single size, somewhere in between. The price is $450, all at once or in three installments. The program lasts 22 weeks -- June through October -- so this works out to about $20 per week.

Last year, the basic weekly staples were strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, basil, leafy greens, jalapenos and corn. Other items were included here and there. I remember green beans, beets, cucumber, fennel, oregano, bell peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, squash, cucumber, onions, cabbage and pumpkin. (I'm told that there should be more fruits this year -- probably apples, pears and plums.)

The freshness and quality were impressive. I remember inviting friends over just to taste the corn; making my own tomato sauce most weeks; and snacking on crispy, plump, spicy jalapenos, the likes of which I had never seen before, even at farmers' markets. I still have bags of basil in the freezer. The flower bouquets were large and varied, and each lasted about two weeks.

Those who know me know that I am very cost-conscious. In Santa Cruz, high prices make produce a luxury item. Local retailers justify selling soft, spotty bell peppers at $7 per pound by saying that they're organic. I haven't seen any evidence that the extra money winds up in farm workers' pockets, either.

CSA is the ideal solution: the food is affordable, you know where it comes from, and the quality is high.

Call (831) 426-3609 or visit http://www.homelessgardenproject.org/ for more information about Community-Supported Agriculture. Here's a list of this year's pick-up options, with street addresses and public transit information:

• Women's Organic Flower Enterprise Store, 101 Washington Street, Santa Cruz - Adjacent to Depot Park and steps from Downtown, Beach Flats, or the Boardwalk. Santa Cruz Metro Routes 19 and 20 stop nearby
• Good Shepherd School, 2727 Mattison Lane, Santa Cruz - Convenient to Capitola. Metro Route 71 is within walking distance.
• Resurrection Church, 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos - Convenient to Cabrillo College. Metro Routes 69W and 71 stop nearby.
• PedEX - Bicycle delivery available between UCSC and Aptos. Extra charge and full-season commitment required.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the Homeless Garden Project. Any opinions expressed in this article are my own. It's a good idea to confirm specific details of the CSA program directly with the Project.