Would you rather:
A. Eat carrots that had to travel 1,800 miles to get to your plate or B. Eat carrots that were picked the same day just a few miles down the road?
Aside from the logistics of it all, it just makes sense to support local agriculture. Not everyone is privy to such wonderful possibilities, but if you are, why not take advantage of a wonderful thing?
Community Supported Agriculture is a great way of getting local (preferably organic) produce for a great price. A "CSA" group typically consists of members who commit to purchasing a minimum amount of produce from a supplier (usually a local farmer) on a regular basis. This group effort ensures that the farmer has someone to sell his produce to, and the buyers can benefit with buying local, fresh produce at a fair price. Knowing exactly where one's food comes from has many benefits and supporting your local farmer is a win-win for all involved. The produce will be super fresh, packed with more vitamins than produce that must be shipped, stored, then put out for (potentially) several days on display. You farmer will likely introduce produce you may not have eaten before. Being exposed to new types of produce will make eating and preparing it more exciting.
CSAs aren't always just produce. Some farmers include eggs, homemade baked goods, jams, jellies, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers or other farm products along with their veggies.
A food or produce co-operative is similar to a CSA except that usually the produce is bought through a supplier (a produce distributor, like one that delivers to health food stores and grocers) and divided up amongst co-op members. Buying in bulk and/or wholesale allows the lower prices to be passed down to the co-op members.
Not everyone is able to farm gardens, keep chickens, and milk a cow. This does not mean one does not want the same fresh, healthy, eco-friendly options. Belonging to a CSA or a local co-op is a great way to have these wonderful, fresh, healthy foods.
Currently, I run a local co-op in my hometown. It is a wonderful thing!
Here are a couple of websites where you can look up CSA's and co-ops in your area:
1. CoopDirectory.org
2. LocalHarvest.org
