For Farm Fresh Produce, CSA is the Way |

For Farm Fresh Produce, CSA is the Way

While we may have a fresh layer of snow on the ground, I am already thinking about spring and planting a vegetable garden. I am determined to have one this year and have my kids experience planting, tending to and eating delicious produce. I don’t expect that my 4′ x 8′ plot of land will yield enough for our family of hearty eaters. Yes, the grocery store is not far from us but I am no longer OK about eating produce that has been grown thousands of miles away. Besides being a real drag on the environment, produce that has to travel so far before it gets to you needs to be treated one way or another in order for it to arrive ready to eat at our huge supermarkets. You usually also sacrifice taste, quality and freshness when produce has to travels so long.

Enter the CSA program. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and essentially takes the middle man out of the equation and connects you with the farmer- ensuring that you get fresh, locally-grown produce and the farmer gets a fair price for his produce. You pay in advance (which helps pay for production costs) for produce from June to October. Each week you stop by the farm to pick up your basket full of produce that’s in season. I’m looking forward to the surprise of what will be available each week. While these programs can be pricey (typically $500 for a full basket), most farms that offer CSA allow you to get a half basket or you could share a basket with your neighbor.

For a good list of Connecticut farms that have a CSA program in place check here or here .