It's been several years since I did Promised Land and I will tell you why. I do Porter Farms and Native Offerings every year, so I think I have good experience for comparing.
Promised Land is by far the most expensive CSA in the area. It was the most expensive when I first did it and when I thought about joining again two years later, they had DOUBLED their prices. Compare this to Porter Farms which has raised their price less than 10% total in the last 6 years. PL sells out, so it is pure supply and demand, but I would never pay that much.
In my view, a CSA should be less expensive than the farmers market. You prepay, you take the risk that this year could be a bad crop, and you don't get to choose what you want.
Pro: They have fruit. Their blueberries are the best I have ever had in my life.
Con: They have fruit, It doesn't keep well. Sometime I would pick it up, right on time, take it straight home, and the berries already had mold.
Pro: You get some fancy and unique items you won't find in other shares.
Con: You get less volume than any other share.
Pro: They have potatoes and all different colors of them. It was so fun getting these. You got lots of other fun things you might not buy at the farmers market, (mostly because they are so expensive).
Con: It's not actually cheaper than going to the Farmers Market, so you could just pick out what you want and as much as you want each week instead.
Pro: It comes pre-boxed. You don't have to remember to bring your own bags or worry about the bag it's in tearing.
Con: You are expected the bring the box back next week.
Pro: There are multiple pick up sites.
Con: The different sites don't seem to be even. I did it the same year as a friend who had a Tuesday pickup in Amherst and I had a Thursday pickup in Buffalo. She often had things I never got but the reverse was never true.
All in all, Promised Land is a fun fancy share for high income folks who don't want to bothered going to the farmers market or hate the idea of getting "too much" produce. read more