Sunday, April 25, 2010

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sign-up time!

According to an Iowa State University study, the typical American meal contains, on average, ingredients from at least five countries outside the United States! That’s a ridiculous amount of mileage for that carrot or potato to travel to get to your plate, resulting in increased fossil fuel use, carbon emissions, and the extra processing required to keep this so-called “fresh” produce looking that way after its long journey.

What to do? Join the Community Supported Agriculture movement this summer (some run through fall and winter too), and you can enjoy fresh-off-the-farm produce from a local source. Each CSA program varies, but generally speaking, you buy a share, and in return, the farm you choose provides a weekly share of its bounty to a local drop-site.

Veggies and greens that were in the soil that morning can be on your plate by dinner, with half the fun being the new foods that may appear in your share box, like kale, kohlrabi, chard or delicate squash! CSAs foster a closer connection with your food (now you know where and how it was grown), a heightened sense of seasonality – strawberries in June, tomatoes in mid-summer, and sweet corn in August - and better tasting food.

Joining a CSA will also save you money. A recent Massachusetts study found that a $470 share was equivalent to $700 worth of conventionally purchased produce. Yet, farmers actually receive a greater return when they’re supported directly.

A typical share of approximately ¾ of a bushel of produce delivered weekly for 18-20 weeks will cost between $500-$700, although there is significant variation from farm to farm. A Minnesota CSA Directory is available online through the Minnesota Land Stewardship Project, so check the farm websites for details on the types of produce offered, the length of the delivery season, subscription options, and drop-off locations.

And keep in mind that a single CSA share can be a lot for one kitchen. To avoid wasting food, consider splitting a share with a friend or opting for a half-share (offered by some farms). Read carefully the description of how much food—and what types of foods (some farms even offer fruit, cheese, meat, and coffee) are typically delivered to help you make that decision.

Check out this list of CSAs with metro-area drop-sites to get a taste of the variety and option available! Some may already be sold out!!
Sources:
Lang, Tim. 2001. “Food Safety and Public Health: Will the Crisis Ever End?” Cardiff Law School Public LectureSeries: 4. Thames Valley University., cited in http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/files/food_travel072103.pdf
http://www.cuesa.org/sustainable_ag/issues/foodtravel.php
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html

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