Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumIn Praise of CSA's
I know the C & B group LOVES Trader Joe's, but, as one who supports the buy-local campaign, I'd like to promote CSA's, or Community-Supported Agriculture. This is where you sign up with a LOCAL farm who is a member of a LOCAL CSA and we as consumers sign up to have fresh (hopefully organic) LOCAL produce delivered either to your home or, most likely, a central location for pick up.
Here's the one I belong to but I'm sure there's one in your area:
http://www.smithsfamilyorganicfarm.com/Home_Page.html
I get a once-a-week delivery of fresh, LOCAL, organic produce which is contained in a cardboard produce box. When I pick up my produce, I hand in last-week's empty box which gets used again and again. So, the food has traveled less than 15 miles, I've used no plastic bags, I've used no more gas going to pick up my box than I use going to the grocery store, I'm supporting a LOCAL farmer and I get good, LOCALLY-GROWN produce. I'm eating healthy and being environmentally responsible all at the same time.
If you're interested, here's a website in which you can type in your location and they will give you local CSA's:
http://www.localharvest.org/
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)in addition to the ones I already shop at.
The thing is that we've gotten a reputation for agritourism around here so prices have been going up steadily.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)Last edited Fri Mar 21, 2014, 01:43 PM - Edit history (1)
Besides local residents, our farmer's market's and local produce stands (we have hundreds of them) do a booming business with touristas going up to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and/or Sequoia National Parks. For me, it's all about supporting local business and especially local farms, particularly if they are family farms. People decry the loss of family farms but it's important that we back that up with concrete support and this is one way to do it.
rdharma
(6,057 posts)With spring here, it's time for me to start visiting the local farmers' markets in the area.
That Smith's Family Organic site is great! Hope I can find something like that around here.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)but my schedule is so hectic that i'm concerned that some of the produce would wind up going to waste because i didn't have a chance to cook for a few days.
but it's definitely something i'll keep researching.
CrispyQ
(36,226 posts)I found some I didn't know about.