Our CSA

After some discussion and budget crunching, Carey and I decided to join a local CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and there is a CSA located in Huntington, about 20 minutes from our house. As you probably know, Carey and I have been trying very hard to do our part in helping the environment (cutting down waste, recycling and reusing as much as possible, grouping errands and driving less, energy friendly appliances in our home, etc.). Well, another way to help the environment is to buy locally-grown, organic produce. In order to be certified as organic, non-organic pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides cannot be used. Buying locally grown produce cuts down on transportation costs and the pollution created when foods must be transported from across the country or from around the world, and it allows you to eat much fresher produce. After all, something picked on Wednesday and delivered on Thursday will be much fresher than something picked last Friday that spends all week in a truck to get to your grocery store!

So, the Ngs have joined the Huntington CSA. We purchased a "share" in the CSA, and each Thursday, we go to Huntington to pick up our share. We receive an email a day or two ahead of time so we know what we're going to get and can plan our menus accordingly. Each week, the share can change, and the produce is subject to the growing season. (For example, just because tomatoes were distributed the second week of June last year doesn't necessarily mean they will be distributed the second week of June this year.) So, if you don't mind receiving things that you might not normally eat and are flexible in terms of share changes, a CSA might be a good idea. When we figured out the finances portion of it, it worked out to be about $12 a week.

Last week, our share included: a pint of strawberries, a bunch of rhubarb, red lettuce, curly cress, radishes, oregano, and thyme. Now, one share isn't enough to feed our family for a week, but it has been a great addition to our nightly dinner menus. It's also encouraging us to try new recipes with new foods. For instance, I can't remember the last time that I had a radish; I never buy them. We tried a green beans recipe with radishes and, while I wasn't a huge fan of the recipe, the radishes were a nice addition and I'd definitely try them in other recipes.

This week, we're slated to get more strawberries and rhubarb, as well as dried black beans and our choice of two of the following: chives, garlic chives, and sage. So, Carey and I are already searching for some new recipes to try!