Each week from March through November we receive an overflowing box of amazing local fare from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. (You may remember this post from last spring.) Connecting with and supporting a local sustainable farm has many benefits. Thanks to our local food source, we are intimately connected to where our food comes from, understand the cycle of the seasons, and feel the impact that weather has on our food supply.
For families with children, the connections they make to their food is one that will impact their relationship with their dinner for the rest of their lives. (Food comes from the earth, not the grocery store).
When Sage was two he would scold correct me if I sang "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." "No, Mama! It's Not Old MacDonald. It's Jay and Donna Had a Farm." Jay and Donna were our first (beloved) CSA farmer's. We joined their farm, WormFarm, while I was still pregnant with Sage. They were small enough that they were able to secretly add extra leafy greens to my family's weekly share because I had a tiny baby and they knew I needed the nutrients. (Thanks to them, I am now a passionate Chard/Kale/Collards eater!) Jay and Donna lived just a few miles from our country house, and we loved them. We would have subscribed for those overflowing boxes of tomatoes and greens for the rest of our lives had we not moved away.
Our current CSA is less intimate (a much bigger operation), but the food quality and quantity is unsurpassed. They even offer additional local shares, like cheese and coffee from small regional producers.
CSA's come in an endless variety, and there is certainly a farm near you that can provide much of your seasonal eats. The CSA concept is simplified like this: you select a farm and join (ie: pre-pay for your seasonal food). The money you pay is then be used by the farmers to acquire the supplies and equipment they need to plant the crops that you will enjoy. You share the benefits, you share the risk.)
Winter is the perfect time of year to find your CSA for next season if you don't already have one. This website is a great way to locate your new farm. I assure you - you'll never look back!
This week we found this sassy little carrot man in our share. He made himself at home in our dollhouse for a bit, until tragedy struck...
