Buy into Bounty, Join a CSA

page 2 of 2 | PREV 1 | 2 

Health and Nutrition

The new federal Food Pyramid calls for two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables to be consumed each day. CSA membership makes getting nine servings a day effortless, ensuring you the vitamins, antioxidants and fiber that reduce the risk for some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. By providing a weekly supply of fruits and vegetables, the thought and preparation for each week's meals is cut in half.

Connecting Farmers and Community

Some CSAs even require members to contribute to the work load—so be prepared to get down and dirty! At Casey Farm, able-bodied members are required to work a total of eight hours over the 21-week season at tasks, like planting, hoeing, trellising tomatoes and harvesting, which connect them more to the farm and its workers. "We get to know [members] better working side by side than we would with them picking up their vegetables once a week," says Hutchison.

Sarah Johnston points out that farmers play a pivotal role in promoting local agriculture in the community. "A lot of CSA farmers are really innovators in their community, helping local businesses that are stocking local goods or interested in starting local food aisles," she says.

According to Hutchison, some members turn the weekly pick-up into a family event, bringing picnic baskets along for the day. "Our farm tends to see a lot of families," he says. "When you have children you start to ask yourself, what am I feeding my family? What am I feeding me?"

Sharing the Harvest

If you're interested in joining a CSA, it is best to act early. Hutchison suggests that people join a CSA during February and March, because by May a lot of CSAs will have filled. In fact, Casey Farm, whose membership is capped at 200 shares, sends out a mailing at the end of February encouraging people to join.

To find a CSA location near you, visit Local Harvest, www.localharvest.org. Also try the USDA's CSA page, www.nal.usda.gov, or Just Foods, a CSA in New York City, www.justfood.org.

Also, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York provides on their website a database of farmers that is searchable by crop, nofany.org.

PREV 1 | 2