The CSA - healthy inexpensive produce...

Working full time and trying to cook healthy meals can be a daunting task. When you consider the costs of fresh produce, organic meats and dairy, and natural ingredients, healthy cooking on a budget can seem impossible. However, it can be done. The way that I get all of my healthy produce is through our local CSA (community supported agriculture) program. For approximately $20 a week, we receive a large box of organic vegetables. There are enough vegetables and variety to feed an average family of four.
At first I was skeptical. We had to pay for the full season ahead of time. The list of produce available contained items that I had never before heard of, let alone eaten. Not too mention that we could not pick out which vegetables we wanted. Each week we would be at the mercy of the farmer and mother nature as to which vegetables (or fruits) made it into our box. Still, $20 a week for fresh produce was significantly less than I was already spending. So, I decided to try it out.
The first week was like Christmas. I couldn't wait to go pick it up to see what was inside. Our box contained eight varieties of veggies. Some tomatoes, eggplant, greens, herbs, summer squashes, salad greens, and more. I immediately got on the net and looked up recipes for cooking greens. I found a great recipe that both my husband and step-son ate without much argument or fuss. As the summer went on, we had plenty of great fresh veggies to eat and tons of extras.
The benefits to CSA's are enormous. By joining a local farm and pledging to support them for a season, you are investing in your community. By purchasing local produce, you are helping to reduce the costs of emissions, etc for bringing produce from faraway to your grocery store. One of the biggest benefits is member only pricing. The produce you receive can range anywhere from $25-45 dollars if purchased in separate quantities at the grocery store. If you are lucky enough to find an organic farm in your area, you are supporting and encouraging earth-friendly agricultural practices. The added benefit to the working mama is simplified shopping. It takes 2 minutes to get my box of produce into my car and the pickup site is near my office.

So, try it out! You may be very surprised and impressed by the benefits of joining and supporting your local CSA!

For resources to find a CSA in your area, check out the following sites:

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php
http://www.eatlocal.net/