CSA Love - This Week's Take

Molly Checks It All Out

So much to do!  I need to update my Art Doll gallery page.  I also have at least 3 ideas for dolls that I want to complete in time for contest deadlines.  With the speed I work at, that will be a feat indeed.  At the time I need to be most industrious, I end up surfing the web for even more inspiration, reading other blogs and getting ideas for posts. 

But, I really do love the CSA we (my husband and I, not using the royal 'we', yet) are in this year!  Two years ago we joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for the first time and it was the beginning of a big life change in the way we eat.  I have to say that before the CSA I hardly ate any vegetables and fruits very selectively and mostly only in pie form (sorry, pandowdy!).  Getting vegetables fresh from the farm every week and being able to pick some right from the fields was a great experience.  It was strange getting foods that I never liked or would have tried before, having them actually taste good and wanting more!  We even started our own mini home garden that year and have been doing it ever since.  Today, I eat so much more fruit and veg and my meat consumption has gone down significantly.  Unfortunately, the first CSA location was a bit of a schlep for us.  After that, we went one year CSA free and now I'm excited that we're back in it at a new location sooo much closer to home!

After much research, we ended up going with the Farm Direct Co-op.  Which, as the name implies, is actually more of a buying club which gets their produce from a variety of local farms.  We signed up for a single (1-2 Adult) share of vegetables and added on a single fruit share as well as an herb and cheese share!

So far, they have been wonderful.  We were even able to place bulk orders for berries, which ended up in a fun family pie baking day.  We plan on extending our share into the fall and doing another bulk fruit order then as well! :-)

I can't say exactly what caused me to want to join a CSA in the first place, but I remember being very determined about it.  I read Michael Pollan's books after.  The summer before, we visited a lot of farmers' markets and farm stands.  Maybe my body was just fed up.  In any case, I am glad because this was a gateway to even more personal growth and all that eventually led me here.

If you are looking for a CSA in your area, you may already know, but Local Harvest is a great place to start!