CSA haul

I got a call earlier this week to let me know that a share had opened up at the CSA I've tried to join for a couple years, if I was interested. Well. I was and am. And now, I've got the chance to pay about $550 for a season's worth of fresh veggies. Let the season begin. Garlic scapes, swiss chard, various types of kale and lettuce, herbs, radishes, turnips, asparagus, strawberries, mulberries, sorrel, and the season has barely started. I'm looking forwaard to zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, celery, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and all the rest of the bounty ahead.

What is CSA and why does it cost over $500? Well, the letters stand for Community Supported Agriculture, meaning that at the beginning of the season, each of us pays our share of the farming expenses for the year, and in return, gets a share of whatever's ripe each week, whether it's a little bit of the last spring spinach, or a lot of summer squash. Whatever we don't eat now, we need to figure out a way to store somehow, whether as frozen zucchini shreds, canned strawberry prserves, dried herbs, frozen pesto, or more simply in the bellies of friends.

So we will be eating whatever is in season, eating locally produced, sustainably farmed produce, and supporting our neighbors, from the farmers to the local foodbanks and shelters. What's not to like? Espevially when this bounty works out to less than $30 per week. Our share this week was easily worth that and we're barely into the growing season.