Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

This week's haul from my CSA!

   
     Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to increase your vegetable consumption and to learn about a variety of local produce in your area!

     How it works: In the spring you sign up with a local farmer that runs a CSA and pay an upfront fee. This fee helps the local farmer to buy supplies and get the farm planted for the season. Then, once the produce becomes available, you get your share each week throughout the harvest season. You pick up your share from a location designated by the farmer, usually the farm or a farmers market in the area. Many CSA farmers offer a full or a half share. I purchased a half share. A full share would be good for a family, but for just one or two people a half share works well. I wanted to make sure I didn't get more than I could eat so I wouldn't have to waste any of the great produce! Each week's share is different based on what is available at the time. This week I got a lot of stuff: bell peppers, hot peppers, carrots, beets, lettuce, wax beans, chard, basil, and cucumbers! Participating in a CSA really gets you thinking locally. You are getting exactly what is ready to be harvested at that exact time so the produce is a its peak freshness. Having the wide variety of produce available at home each day helps increase your vegetable consumption, and you get to try a lot of new foods that you otherwise would probably not!

    If you are interested in getting involved for next year check your local newspaper or public message boards in government buildings such as the library. Also visit Local Harvest's CSA webpage at: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.

Cheers,
Brittney