Have you ever been part of a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture is a wonderful way of supporting areas farmers and eating seasonally, closer to home. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea, but never really followed through, mostly because I wasn’t sure if making this kind of Committment to Vegetables could actually work for my family.
For those who are new to the idea, when you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of produce from a local farmer. CSA members pay for the season’s produce up front and receive a weekly delivery throughout the summer and early fall, ultimately sharing the season’s bounty as well as the risk (of blight, of drought, etc.). It also means living a little closer to the land and truly knowing where our food comes from.
A few weeks ago I received an email from Michael Milsom, the man behind Mike’s Garden Harvest, a CSA here in Ottawa. Here he is:
He asked me if my family and I would like to sample his produce throughout the season, so we set up a time to chat about it a bit more. This guy is incredibly passionate about feeding families. His CSA had 32 members last year and almost all of the families returned this season. He’s growing (no pun intended) and this year he’s prepared to feed 125 local families.
As I see it, there are a few very big benefits of buying a share in a CSA:
- This is locally grown, organic (!!) produce that is harvested at peak times, ensuring ultimate freshness.
- It will reduce the amount of time I spend at the grocery store. Also, my regular grocery store doesn’t have great produce and sometimes I find myself going to multiple stores to get what I need. Home delivery of fresh veggies = more time to do other things. Woot!
- There are also different varieties in play here, which I’m VERY excited about. Let’s look at the 2015 list of lettuce, for example: Flashy Trout Back, Muir, Baby Oak leaf, Concept, Ridgeline Romaine, Jericho Romaine, Crispano, Rhazes. (Do yourself a favour and see the whole list right here.)
I’m excited that we’re going to be eating a more diverse array of veggies. And who knows, maybe the girls will find something new they like… especially if they know it’s from “our” farm friend. And if we get too much of something? I will be gifting it to our neighbours. (WATCH OUT NEIGHBOURS!) :)
And so we chatted, and I agreed to the generous gift of a share, because who can refuse fresh veggies delivered to their door and the promise of wonderful meals for an entire summer? That being said, I’ll be tweeting a show and tell of each delivery and posting it on my Facebook page, along with my thoughts and observations of that week’s bounty. You may also see an influx of veggies in my Daily Lunches too. I’m also hoping that my family will have an opportunity to visit the farm at some point over the summer too, so we can really get the inside scoop. Stay tuned!
Have you ever tried a share in a CSA? Why or why not? I’d love to hear about your experience. Would you be interested in getting a share of Mike’s harvest this year and trying this veggie experiment with me for a season? If so, he still has a few shares available. Check out the options right here.
