Eating Locally

I like a certain amount of adventure in the kitchen. Finding new recipes, (and then not following them exactly), cooking new foods, and of course, there are the always entertaining random mishaps.

Recently, I've added a new element to my cooking adventures--random chance. But in addition to making my time in the kitchen more... interesting, I'm also helping to support local farmers. In short, I've joined a CSA. CSA is short for Community Supported Agriculture, and CSA programs have been popping up all over.

A CSA program runs on a simple premise. We (the consumers) purchase a subscription, or "share" at a farm at the beginning of the growing season. Often, this happens right around the beginning of the calendar year, long before any plants are ready to be harvested and eaten. That contribution helps the farmer offset the costs of seeds, plants, and labor at the beginning of the season. In return, throughout the growing season, spring through fall, the customer gets a regular supply of whatever is being harvested that week. It's a win-win proposition. The farmers have guaranteed customers for the food they grow, and we get the benefit of freshly grown, freshly picked, local fruits and vegetables.

I love my CSA. Every Saturday morning, I go to a nearby vegetable stand to pick up my half-share, which is intended to be enough food for 2 people. Cooking just for myself and the occasional visitor, there's always plenty to eat. Above, you can see one of my earliest shares from the beginning of spring, which included tomatoes, strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, green onions, and snow peas. In last week's share I got: 6 ears of corn, 6 peaches, blueberries, green beans, an eggplant, and cherry tomatoes.

But what if you're not quite ready for a three-season long commitment? There are lots of ways to find locally grown, freshly harvested food. Of course, there's your local farmer's market. If you're not sure where that is or when it occurs, check out LocalHarvest, which has searchable listings of farmer's markets, farms, grocery stores, co-ops, restaurants, and more from all over the USA. It also includes an online store where you can make purchases from the listed farms and stores, and an extensive directory of CSA programs. 

If you're in or around Maryland, you can also find out more information about local farms and CSA programs from the Maryland Agriculture website, a project of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland. Cooperative Extension offices are located all over the US, so if you're not from Maryland, try searching for your own local state or county Extension Office for more information about local farmers and agriculture.

Posted by Claire Smith on July 09, 2009 at 12:35 pm EST

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