Question

customers typically sign up for csas between december and april for the upcoming growing season, for as long as shares are available. shares are paid for up front at the time of enrollment. members then receive weekly or bi - weekly shares of vegetables between may and october. depending on the type of shares that a farm provides, customers can sometimes select which vegetables they would like to received. in other csas, the farmer chooses the vegetables that make up each weekly share depending on what is available and ready to harvest that week. other foods sometimes available through csa systems include eggs, honey, and cheese. some farms use hoop houses, greenhouses, or root cellars to extend the growing season. csa shares can seem expensive, especially as you are paying for six month’s worth of food up front. buying food directly from a farmer, however, has some qualitative differences from buying food in a grocery story. the quality of the produce tends to be higher, as small farmers choose that they grow for its taste and health properties, rather than for its ability to handle being transported long distances or for its shelf life. a csa membership supports local farms and the local community. many health insurance companies are beginning to recognize the importance of good nutrition, and some offer discounts for csa members. there are also some areas that offer financial assistance to families who need help affording a csa share.

1. in which of the following months would a customer likely sign up for a csa?

a. july
b. august
c. october
d. january

1. how often do csa customers receive vegetables?
2. what is the benefit of csa over buying produce at a chain grocery store?

Explanation:

Question 16

The text says customers sign up between December and April for the upcoming growing season. January is within December - April, while July, August, October are during the growing season (May - October) or after, so January is when they'd likely sign up.

The passage states "Members then receive weekly or bi - weekly shares of vegetables". So CSA customers receive vegetables weekly (or bi - weekly, but "weekly" is a common frequency mentioned).

The text mentions "The quality of the produce tends to be higher, as small farmers choose that they grow for its taste and health properties, rather than for its ability to handle being transported long distances or for its shelf life". So the benefit of CSA over grocery store produce is higher quality (better taste, health properties, not focused on transport/shelf life).

Answer:

d. January

Question 17