Community Farm Delivery: Week 2

[azemigh]

We joined the local community farm and got our first box of goodies on Friday. It's been an unusually cold and wet spring here and the harvest is off to a slow start, but what we got is FANTASTIC! Made lettuce wraps last night and they were so fresh and tasty! Thought it might be fun to photograph what we get each week and see the progression. I hear through the grapevine that strawberries will be ripe in 2 weeks. Oh boy!

[clamscrapper]

Looks great. Do you have to work in the farm or just pay a fee for the produce? Sounds like a neat concept. Our strawberries have been gone now for several weeks, but they were sure good when we had them fresh.

[azemigh]

We purchased a share. I think there are ways to get a share by working for them though.

[pamcook]

It's so important to shop from your local farms first and joining a CSA is an easy way to do it. Carol, we have tons in our area - google it- you might be surprised.

[clamscrapper]

Interesting Pam, I may do that. We have a small garden this year and get a lot of produce from the Farmer's Market.

[pamcook]

CSA's guarantee the smaller farmers an income for the season - you share the bounty each week. Some deliver and some ask you to come to the farm to pick up your box.
Corporations are doing their best to regulate local farmers out of business. We get food with minimal nutrients and corporations control our food source. Read Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

[azemigh]

Here is the link to the farm we joined. They service some towns along the coast here as well as Eugene and Portland. They also sell their product at local farmer's markets. They deliver to a central location here in Florence and we go pick it up. They also have your share in a plastic tub that is their's; we bring our own containers and transfer the produce to our own so they can use the tubs again the next week.

http://www.wintergreenfarm.com/

[ChristyB]

Love CSAs. And Pam is right--it's important to support local farms. They are a dying breed.

[julierealtor]

Rachelle, it sounds like the growing season there is the same as here. I've been picking spinach, lettuces, radishes and herbs out of my garden too. Love the idea! We have a farmers market here each week. The local farmers bring their goods and the Amish bring baked goods. I hear strawberries are starting to come in, but haven't seen them yet.

[jfugina]

I know of a lot of people around here who participate in that kind of thing. If I enjoyed cooking in any capacity, I'd be all over it. But I hate to cook, or anything at all to do with food prep, and I pretty much eat whatever is quickest, or prepared on my behalf. I have thought on occasion just to sign up for something like that just on principle - even though it would pretty much all be wasted in our house. I am definitely in favor of keeping the local growers in business.

[azemigh]

Week 2 in our weekly veg box is full of beautiful greens and 2 pints of the most luscious strawberries you've ever tasted. I'm so glad we joined.

[Monica]

Yummy, Rachelle! That's why I go to the farmer's market every Sunday all summer long.... the most delicious produce one could hope for and all local. Once the seasons turn to winter I think my system goes into a funk as the produce @ grocery stores isn't as good as the farmer's market.

Monica

[pamcook]

What beautiful produce! I'm so glad you're enjoying this. We love shopping from our local farmers.

ETA - Since Cheryl H stood me up for lunch , I went down to the farmers' market in the hospital lobby and got a few groceries - all organic - heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, edemame, blueberries and yellow bell peppers. The farmer I bought from today has a small farm not too far north of here. I might have to go on a field trip some weekend and check it out.

[troublesmom]

Gotta love those fresh veggies!

[jfugina]

That's so cool. I actually looked into that kind of thing in this area, but quickly got overwhelmed. If we did more cooking at home (and our kids would eat more than fish sticks or chicken nuggets from the oven), I think I'd jump in. I keep thinking how awesome it must be to get stuff each week that is absolutely at the peak of flavor and freshness. Yum!