Community Supported Agriculture - do you do it?

[sarahp]

Do you have a CSA that you're part of? Do you buy from your local Farmer's Market? Which do you prefer?

I've changed to more farmer's market fruit and veggies since my DD got old enough to eat purees, and now she's eating pretty much everything we eat, I'm even more careful, and have looked at a CSA. I tried one before, but it was one where you just got whatever they gave you, and it was a heap of stuff I never used. I just found a new one where you get to choose what you get each week, and they also have options to add grass-fed beef, eggs, chicken etc. I'm looking forward to it - I like supporting local farmers, and getting pesticide free produce for my daughter. I found the current one through this website - http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ (for the US) where you can put in your zip code and find a CSA near you.

What about you?

 

[speakhandsforme]

I've explored many CSA options around here, and I would dearly love to participate, but I live by myself (with the kitties of course ) and I just don't eat enough to justify owning even a half share in most of the CSA options around here.

And I would totally go to the farmer's markets if I could be bothered to get up early enough. :lol3:

But when I visit my parents, we eat stuff from their garden all the time.

 

[AbbysMom]

We have a fairly large garden in the summer and eat a lot of our own produce. There is a farmstand right down the street from me. Most of what they don't grow themselves they buy from local farmers. They will be closing after Christmas for the winter, so it will be back to the supermarket for me until April or so.

 

[jcat]

We've got a greenhouse in the backyard, own an orchard and rent a field, so very rarely buy fruit or vegetables. Some stuff is frozen or canned for the winter, other things dried.

 

[ldg]

:bigthumb: Absolutely, do everything we can to buy local. :nod: I can't stand the thought of factory farmed chicken (or eggs) or feedlot meat at this point. We're not even close to 100% cruelty-free, but working at it (though have no desire or intention to go vegan). But that's one thing I do like very much about where we live - a lot of small farms. We buy eggs from someone less than half a mile away from us, and we SEE their chickens. :lol3: Gary asked if I wanted Kentucky Fried Chicken the other day and I just couldn't do it.

We're eating most of our vegetables seasonally now, with frozen locally purchased things like green beans and corn. :nod: In the summer, we only buy from farmer's markets, and when we can afford it, the health food store (which only sources local organics and grass fed beef).

Grass fed beef does take some getting used to - but it is SO much better for you! (And the cows. :nod: ).

 

[feralvr]

YES- I buy locally too and we have a few farmer's markets in town and in the next town over. We have a few really great farmer's who have their own "fresh" store too . We also try to eat wild caught fish or grass-fed meats and like to buy organic from the local Health food stores. It is expensive to eat healthy though ...... just crazy.

 

[Winchester]

We have several CSA programs around here and were thinking of trying one out this past summer, but then we planted the garden and it did well. I like the idea of getting a good variety of vegetables and such. We do have two great farmers markets here; one on Wednesdays and the other on Fridays. The Friday market is all organic....you have to be completely organic to sell there. I love the mushrooms I can get at that market. I don't know; they just taste better.

There's a natural food store here, too, and I buy my yeast there as well as some of my grains that I use when baking breads.

Wow, Tricia, a greenhouse? How cool!

 

[jcat]

I thought DH was kidding when he said he'd like a greenhouse, but it's been so worth the price and room it takes up. It's unheated and thus unused from Dec. to Feb., but otherwise the yields are high.