March To-Do List: Join a CSA
With the local, sustainable food movement gaining serious momentum, you’ve probably heard the growing buzz about community supported agriculture, or CSA, over the past few years. Joining one gives your family the opportunity to support a local farm by providing it with the investment capital necessary at the start of each growing season, well before any crops are harvested. In much of the country, that time is right now!
Participating in a CSA is basically like paying for an entire season’s worth of farmers’ market goods without ever having to make the trip. Pay for a share (usually enough to feed a family of four) now, then receive a box of fresh, local produce each week throughout harvesting time. While some CSAs do deliver, most drop their boxes at a central location for member pick-up.
Vegetable CSAs are the most common, but many farms also offer shares of fruit, meat, eggs or dairy, and even flowers. No matter what type of food you receive, however, the benefits of CSAs remain: Your food supply will be healthy, as fresh as fresh gets, and have a low environmental impact, while your family will be connected to the local land and community. To find a CSA near you, visit localharvest.org.
Marygrace, KIWI intern and local produce fanatic
Tags: CSA, farms, local, produce, sustainable, vegetables
