Community Supported Agriculture
/I’ve joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for this summer. I purchased a half share. I had thought about it last year but didn’t get around to doing it. This year taking courses on the US Food System and How to Change the World provided a little extra push.
The CSA idea appeals to my sense of taking individual action to make the world a better place. The local farm avoids the transportation costs for its crops, the community gets locally grown produce, the family farm remains a viable business…..the whole is a more sustainable model.
Being a member of a CSA will encourage me to eat a larger variety of veggies - an even healthier diet than I have already. Somehow my vegetable purchases at the grocery store settle into a pattern: carrots, tomatoes, romaine, peppers, celery, andcucumbers. It’s not that I don’t like almost all vegetables --- the familiar is just too luring. So - having the CSA provide veggies that are at their best that particular week will coax me to try some new foods.
I supposed I could do almost the equivalent by going to the local Farmers Market but I am sure I’d have the same problem I have the past few summers: the one afternoon a week that the one nearest to me is open goes by….and then I remember! The requirement of prepaying for the CSA share is a good way to motivate myself to pick up the veggies every week at my allotted time.
Here are some links for more information about CSAs:
