Tuesday, April 13, 2010

CSA Starts Today!

Today was the first day of the 2010 farm share season!

For the past two years I have participated in a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Every week, I get a box of vegetables that have been grown in North Carolina by the farmer I signed up with at the beginning of the season. Several of the participating farms drop off at locations around the triangle but I get mine at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, a drop-off location organized through the benefits program of Duke employees. The program, though, is open to anyone.

The idea is that you pay a flat rate at the beginning of the season, and get a weekly cut of the produce the farm harvests. Duke's program has several farms to choose from at a range of price points and usually two or three share sizes.

Farm shares are especially advantageous in a state like North Carolina which has a long growing season and a healthy agricultural tradition. We like it because we're not only developing a relationship with the farmer, but we hardly have to think about vegetables all summer. Shopping lists get shorter and the volume of veggies in the diet goes up. We also get fruit, and that's probably the best part.

Well, I guess this means it's probably time to break out the recipe book and get cooking!

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