What Has Me Excited Today...CSA

Have you ever heard of a CSA, community supported agriculture? Perhaps I'm late on the information but I'm excited nonetheless. In my quest for a healthier lifestyle, I constantly look for opportunities to improve the quality of food I purchase. It concerns me that many of our foods have origins many miles away - the same foods that are available right in our backyards. Seriously, please explain to me how it is possible for grocery stores in the Southeastern United States to sell shrimp shipped from the far east of the world significantly cheaper than it is to sell shrimp straight out of the Gulf Coast or out of the waters of Savannah? How is it that foods harvested and grown thousands of miles away are cheaper than foods locally grown? My guess is there has to be some sort of compromise in the integrity of the product, but hey, I could be completely wrong. What are the checks and balances? How about the quality control? Oops, I digressed, back to the CSA ...

Per Local Harvest, community supported agriculture has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The rates vary among participating farms but I think the prices are reasonable. I plan on signing up and splitting a package with a friend.

For more information, check out Local Harvest's website here. You can type in your zip code to find CSAs in your area. Of course, if you have a really good farmer's market in your area, you have the best option since there is no minimum commitment.

Happy healthy eating,