CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs are gaining speed in the organic farming world.  Great news for farmers, the environment, and us eaters!

So what is it exactly?  It is a program that you can join at your local organic farms where you pay a set membership fee in return for a "share" of their yield.  Each week you pick up your box of various veggies just picked from the farm.  The make up of the box varies week by week which adds to the excitement!   Some farms even include other products like eggs, milk, etc., depending on what type of farm it is.

So why is this so great?  First of all it supports local farmers which is always a good thing!  The more local organic farms, the more organic food for you.  It is great for our environment too because it cuts out the pollution caused by shipping produce to your local organic grocer as well as eliminating the waste from packaging.   And the greatest benefit, though unmeasurable, is how CSAs truly strengthen the community and create a connection between people and their food.  Some farms even let you work a few hours at the farm each week to get a discount off your subscription cost.  It is so important to see where your food comes from, to see the work that goes into it, to know the people that grow it. We have lost that in our culture today, and food truly is the soul of every community.

So get into a CSA with your family, your roommate or join on your own.  Get to know your farmers, your farm, your community.  Cook together, eat together.  That really is the good stuff in life.