In addition to enjoying the farmer's market, the DH and I joined a CSA this year. CSA stands for community-supported agriculture. We bought a share of a farm and receive weekly produce. (Actually, for the two of us, we got a half share because we also have a garden.) It's so much fun! Our produce arrives on Saturday, and it's like Christmas each week! We joined to support the plan to get as much food as possible from local sources. Rather than having my spinach travel from California, why not get it from a farm less than 10 miles away? Think of all the transportation costs that are gone! Plus, the money stays local, I know the folks that grow the food, and the food has an increased nutritional value because it doesn't get picked too early and travel a great distance.
Our CSA bounty from last week (pictured above) included: salad greens, turnip greens, radishes, young garlic (like green onions), incredibly yummy pasta sauce, and watercress. As the produce changes with the seasons, so changes what we receive. It's a great way to stay in tune with what nature delivers to us in our own locales.
About the only way to eat more locally is to grow it ourselves, which the DH does so well! Here are a few garden pictures.
Sugar snap peas
Broccoli rabe, bok choy and spinach
Lettuce from our Feb. 14th scattering of seeds on snow
Strawberry patch; I spied one strawberry starting to turn red yesterday!
The thing that is cool about our garden is how much produce we get from a tiny little lot in town! I think it's very pretty, too, how the DH mixes the food plants among the flowers. It's just lovely.If you'd like to find a farmer's market or CSA near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/.
That's great that you grow a lot of your own produce. Also, I like the CSA idea. There is one in my area whose members are all organic farmers. You could teach a class on healthy green living, as well as your tea appreciation classes. Thanks for the lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteYou really threw me for a moment there, because in my neck of the woods, CSA stands for "Confederate States of America," ha! But I do envy you getting all that great local produce delivered to your door, in addition to that which is obviously well-tended right there at your home. The closest thing I get is when a veggie-growing friend brings me some of her summer stash of carrots, green beans and tomatoes. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteIsn't the CSA concept a great one? We are a host site for Spiral Path Farm in Loysville, PA, and every Wednesday enjoy receiving our box full of fresh veggies. This past Wednesday was the first delivery day, and we're now enjoying fresh spring greens, spring onions, buttercrunch lettuce, oregano, and baby arugula. They also added carrots and potatoes to fill out the box. Local, fresh, organic.... hard to top that!
ReplyDeleteNancy
What a treat it was to try a new tea and enjoy your company yesterday! Thank you for the tour of your gardens. I'd like to come back when we both have more time to really look at all of the plants.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you! We all need to be a little more conscious of our carbon footprint, and what food-miles really mean. Growing our own food and supporting other local growers needs to become more widespread. (I probably need to take a good honest look at my own habits.) I'll have to see your gardens firsthand sometime!
ReplyDeleteOoh! My CSA doesn't start until next month - I am drooling over those veggies! :-)
ReplyDeleteoh, i love your garden. we always palnt one, but this year we are really into it!
ReplyDeleteI can see we both had gardens on our minds today. I posted some pics of ours too. Yours is much further along, but I'm sure we'll both be enjoying all the yummy produce in the months to come.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful garden you have, Steph! Unfortunately, our yard is very wooded so we don't have enough light for a veggie garden. I'm really looking forward to our local farmer's market opening up in June. Hmmmm, we might be able to grow a few tomato plants up on the deck where we get about 4 hours of sun. Thanks for the inspiration and enjoy your delicious produce!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet garden~ and a great couple of ways to eat locally! I'd love to get together, and I need some more Ice Wine tea, if you have it! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat little garden. We did these things called "Earth Boxes" this year...bought two to them and planted plants...should have tomatoes and other such goodies soon. Whew!
ReplyDeleteWe too have a local "Farmers Market" here in Baton Rouge and I love to go to it when I can...it's waaaaay downtown..so I don't go often...
But I do go to the local fruit and vegatable stands every week for those things and other local things. They aren't organic or anything though. Blah!
And I do the "Whole Foods" thing of course..which I LOVE.....but it's big bucks. Ouch.
Hey by the way....PLEEASE send me your address again. I sent you an e-mail explaining all that.
Thanks!!!!
Joyce