Support Your Local CSA!
I am fortunate in that I live in the middle of a fantastic agricultural region. Some farms are large production and sell their wares to large companies (sugar, wheat, corn, etc). Some farms are moderate production and deal with regional businesses. And then we have a whole gang of really fantastic small farms and CSA’s (community-supported agriculture farms). A lot of these farms sell at farmer’s markets all over Northern California, and many of them - primarily the CSA’s - offer farm subscriptions. This is where you pay into the farm itself and in return you receive farm shares…fresh boxes of seasonal produce from their farm. Sometimes they work trades with regional farms so they can offer their members a wider variety…but always local, and most often organic.
I have belonged to several different CSA’s over the years, and I have great things to say about every single one of them. My reasons for changing farms have more to do with personal preference and convenience than anything else. One farm had too large a variety of produce which meant I got very little of each item in every box and I preferred slightly less variety in greater quantities. Another farm had a pickup schedule that just ended up not working out well for me. The farm I’m with now does doorstop delivery which I absolutely love. It’s not as good for the environment, having a delivery truck that drives all the way from the farm to every single farm member’s house, but it works really well for my work schedule since sometimes I don’t get home until after pickup deadline that other CSA’s had. On the plus side, during the Farmer’s Market months, I tend to pause my CSA subscription to avoid produce overlap, so I’m saving a little carbon output.
One of the greatest benefits I’ve found of belonging to a CSA farm is the ability to experience a wide variety of produce and discover things I hadn’t thought to try before. This leads to new tastes, new recipes, new ideas for meals, and inevitably healthier eating. Another excellent benefit is learning to eat in season. By eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, you’re reducing the amount of transporting that has to be done to bring in out-of-season veggies from other states or even other countries. (yes, I realize this raises a lot of ethical discussions about responsibility for economic support of other countries, but that’s another topic for another time) You’re also reducing the amount of energy expended to raise out-of-season produce (often times requiring massive corporate greenhouses) and the amount of resources such as fertilizer and water.
And of course the best benefit of all…you’re supporting a local farm, providing them the ability to keep raising excellent (and often organic) produce and remain an integral part of the community.
If you’d like to see the CSA’s or local produce opportunities in your area, visit http://www.localharvest.org . It’s not absolutely perfect but it’s an excellent starter resource.
