We are so excited to be a part of a CSA this year, and it all started last week! We meet people all the time who are not familiar with the term CSA. We understand, because last year we did not even know what CSA meant either. CSA means 'Community Supported Agriculture.' You pay your farmer up front before the growing season, so he can have the funds to grow your food for the rest of the season. We are fortunate that our CSA lasts well into the fall, since our farmer has a number of greenhouses. We feel we are getting a very good value for the money since this CSA runs longer than others and has a wide variety of produce available. By knowing your farmer you know their farming practices, and can ask questions directly about how your food is being grown. The farm we are supporting is of course organic. We have gone into this new fresh food adventure with my daughter's family, so we will be splitting our shares of weekly produce. Every Thursday we pick up our share at the farm, and we find out what produce is waiting for us at that time. Farmer Tom met with us last week to go over a few things about what to expect, and where we will pick up our weekly items. He was kind enough to then let us wander about his farm, and check out the place. There are three large and different growing areas on the farm, along with multiple greenhouses. You can see one of the garden areas in the photo above, and others below.
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Aowyn quickly noticed a large tree with a face and kept going back to have a discussion! This week when we pulled up to the farmhouse, she immediately demanded we let her out of the car, because she had to go talk to "The Tree!" Awesome! We are glad that she is learning where her food comes from, and is understanding that it is grown in the ground, and not in a box. She also helps her Dad in their veggie garden at home, and is proud to tell me that she made the garden! Grandmum loves that!
Over by the greenhouses are a number of growing tables and shelves, filled with all kinds of plants. When we go to our local farmers market, Farmer Tom is there, and sells some of these potted flowers, herbs, and veggie plants. He has partnered with another organic farm nearby that has shares for organic pastured chickens, eggs, turkeys, and pork. So those items can be part of our CSA share too, if we decided to add them to our package. That is also another perk of joining this particular CSA.
We received a bag of colorful mixed salad greens. Oh so delicious! You can see that this is the greenhouse where the salad plants live. I am in rabbit heaven! Mmmmm I could not help myself, and had two salads just today of these yummy mixed greens!
The next greenhouse we visited was home to Broccoli, peas, and a few other plants. Aowyn could see that Jack and the beanstalk lives!
This was our first weeks produce share. Bags of fresh spinach and mixed salad greens. Ripe wonderful strawberries that did not last long in our house! Plus we had broccoli, pea pods, and garlic scapes.
We also have an egg share from pastured chickens. The farmer told us that lately there has been a problem with foxes getting some of the chickens. Aren't those eggs gorgeous?!!! Yolks are big and deep yellow-orange, just the way the Queen likes them!
My daughter got a monthly pork share. Look at the huge amount of meat that she gets for far less money than you would pay in a store. Her family already had the sausage links at dinner the other night, and she tells me they were the best tasting sausages she has ever eaten. The meats come frozen and do not contain nitrates. This is certainly more meat than Ben and I could eat, so we prefer to buy our occasional meats by the piece at another local farm.
We bought a couple packages of nitrate free hot dogs for summer cookouts from this different local farm. Last year they ran out of hot dogs during the busy summer months, so we got ours earlier this year to avoid disappointment. We also get their bacon every three months for a rare special treat. We absolutely love these local farm raised pastured meats. You can taste the difference! We may eat mostly plants, but when we do eat meat, we want the best tasting healthier alternative, to what we used to buy at a store.
On the way home we passed this beautiful farm below. My daughter then drove us to yet another organic farm near where we once lived, that she found by driving down that road one day. That farm also sells frozen chicken, and turkey by the piece.
Along with a traditional farmers roadside stand they have a refrigerator case of eggs, veggies, fruit, and fresh canned items. I bought Ben a surprise treat of sausage, and a turkey breast that the farmer brought out of a large freezer room. I decided to buy myself some fresh asparagus spears.
I hope if you are new to the concept of CSA's and buying direct from local farms, that you can see just how much variety is available out there for you, no matter what your own personal food choices are in life. For your own good and the good of our world, perhaps you will now consider this way of getting your fresh organic produce, dairy, and pastured meats for your family. Be a locavore! You can go to the Locavore Network and Local Harvest to see what the farms and farmers markets in your area have available for you! Support your local organic farmers, instead of going to the old supermarket for industrialized food stuffs. Everything is far better tasting anyway! Below is this weeks CSA produce share. Bok choy, escarole, beets, salad greens, spinach, and pea pods. Beautiful. Thank you Farmer Tom!
