Reason one (and perhaps the most important reason for me) is that the food delivered by a CSA is guaranteed fresh. It is usually picked the morning of delivery (perhaps a day earlier, at the latest). This means that the fruits and vegetables are vine-ripened and contain plenty of phytonutrients. So much of our produce is picked WEEKS (if not months) before reaching our supermarkets and dinner plates! This means that many of the healing properties that should be present in our foods ... aren't. No wonder we are a nation riddled with allergies, illness and disease! We are eating dead produce! But with a CSA, fresh, alive fruits and vegetables are back on the table and in our bodies.
Reason two is that CSA's are more environmentally friendly. Because the food stays local - in the community - pollution involved in transporting items is almost cut-out altogether. No semi-trucks, airplanes, and trains hauling your food thousands of miles to your grocery store. Usually, a truck from the farm delivers their produce once a week to a specific "drop-off" point in the community where members of the CSA arrive to pick-up their box of goods. Sometimes CSA's will allow individuals to come directly to the farm for pick-up, as well. Also, many CSA's are very mindful of the land they use and what is put onto/into the foods they deliver. Many are 100% organic. This means that the chemicals and pesticides that would normally be put into the soil, the groundwater, and our bodies are eliminated. This is a VERY good thing.
Reason three is that CSA's support the local community. They are often run by one or two families and are relatively small compared to the giant industrialized farms. This means that you can meet the farmer, tour the farm, and know exactly where your food is coming from. I LOVE this about CSA's. The food chain is not a mystery that ends in the supermarket aisle ... it is a very real, very alive process that we should all better understand and appreciate. For those unable to have their own gardens, CSA's allow us to explore this life process in a more intimate way. It also keeps your money local. Instead of paying a huge corporation in California or South America, paying for shipping, and paying for grocery stores to stock and sell your food - you pay a local farmer directly. He or she takes that money, and turns it into food, which he returns to you. It sounds so simple, because it is! It is they way we used to farm and eat for thousands of years. They say "if it's not broke, don't fix it." If humanity has survived off of local farming for as long as it has, I say let's stick with it.
Reason four: it challenges me in the kitchen! I have brought home vegetables and legumes that I have never even heard of before! It forces me to be creative with meals, as well as eat foods that I normally would never pick-up in the supermarket. CSA's usually provide suggested recipes with their weekly boxes - so when celery root suddenly appears in your fridge, you're not at a complete loss.
Reason five is that is actually does save you money, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. Yes, it can be a lot of money upfront. I just wrote a check for $540 yesterday and couldn't help but wonder, "is it really worth it?" But for 25 weeks of organic vegetables and fruits, the answer is "yes", it really is. Again, the money goes directly to the farmer, cutting out all the middle men involved in grocery stores and industrialized farming. This means there are less people to pay, and the farmers can charge you less and still turn a decent profit.
So how exactly does a CSA work? That depends on the CSA. Most CSA's require that you pay upfront, at the beginning of the season. This allows the farmer to get an idea of exactly how many individuals he or she needs to plant for. Most CSA's run somewhere between 5-7 months (May/June - October/November). A few run year round. A good CSA will give you an idea upfront of what you will be receiving over the next several months. For example, they may tell you that in June you will be receiving strawberries, basil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, etc. In October, however, you will be receiving a very different variety of foods: squash, potatoes, onions, apples, etc. The food is seasonal (that's why it is fresh) and varies over the course of several months.
You may or may not be able to pick a "drop-off" site; some give you several options so that you can choose one closest to where you live or work, others only have one drop-off location. The CSA will specify the day of week and hours they will be available for pick-up. The one we belong to, for example, is every Wednesday from 3:00-8:00 PM. Sometimes boxes are pre-made and ready to take home. Other times you are told how many of each item to pick from each box (3 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, etc.) and you go around and help yourself. Either way, it is simple and always fun to see what beautiful, colorful fruits and vegetables await!
CSA's are often thought of as only providing produce: fruits and vegetables. If this once was the case, it isn't the case anymore. CSA's now offer cheeses, milk, meats, and grains. In our town, one can buy goat, chicken, beef, lamb, buffalo, turkey, eggs, as well as a variety of sausages and cheeses from local CSA's. Because raw milk cannot be sold in the state of Oregon for human consumption, raw dairy products cannot be sold through a CSA. It can only be bought via "herd-sharing." I will post on that another time.
So really, what is there NOT to love about a good CSA? I encourage you to find out what local CSA's are available in your town. Local Harvest is a wonderful resource for finding out more about what is available in your area. And don't wait too long to sign-up ... many have limited amount of space available. So do some research, sign-up for one if you can, and enjoy the benefits of it all spring, summer, and fall long!
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