San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project
For those of you that remember my blog about local Farmer’s Markets throughout the county, consider this a follow up post. Although there is a ton of charm and community in going to a Farmer’s Market consistently, what if you could purchase the same farm fresh fruits and veggies, without searching for parking or waiting in any line?
Joining a CSA can do that for you…and more. Convenience, a good price, and a surprise selection on a weekly basis are just some of the CSA membership perks. According to the San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project website, “CSAs are a great way to support your local farmer. When you buy into a CSA, you are buying a share of that farm’s production — not only the harvest, but also the costs of production. A typical CSA will deliver a standard weekly “share” or box of produce to drop points around the area. You pay either monthly, quarterly, or annually for your share.”
Here’s how it works: Once a week, boxes of farm fresh foods are delivered to a point of pick up. The CSA members may pick up their items between a certain time frame, bringing their own bags to transfer the food from the box it came in, fold the box up to be used, initial next to their names, and that’s it! You are now in possession of a wide variety of organic, locally grown produce that will last you and your family for the upcoming week and on top of that, maybe introduce you to some new foods.
Can you picture it? Imagine every Friday, between 4 -8pm, stopping by that home in the neighborhood that the food is delivered to. You go up to their front porch with your reusable bags, empty the contents of one of the boxes, fold it up for reuse, initial next to your name on the clipboard, and you’re off. For my family this summer, it was like Christmas when I got home with the goodies. The surprise factor had us all excited and the learning opportunity for the kids…ok, for myself as well, when there was some new leafy green we weren’t sure of, or how to prepare it.
For more info on joining a CSA yourself, attend your local Farmer’s Market, do some research here. But be prepared, many of them now have waiting lists!
Happy Healthy Eating,