Have you heard of community-supported agriculture (CSA)? This model is like a subscription to fresh, local produce. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture defines it as “a unique marketing agreement between the farmer and the consumer. The consumer pays the farmer a fee in advance of the growing season and in return, the farmer provides the consumer a variety of fresh produce every week during the growing season.”1 But it’s so much more than that!
Benefits
Local farms cannot typically compete with industrial farms economically because of government subsidies and scale. However, locally grown food is often of higher quality and much fresher than food shipped across the country. Further, some local farms are organic and/or non-genetically modified (non-GMO), which means no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers.
Most food we buy at the grocery store is trucked in from elsewhere. That means the carbon footprint of a tomato shipped from Mexico to the U.S. is much higher than a tomato grown in the city where you reside. The local CSA we are using this year indicated that “95% of food consumed in Chattanooga is shipped in from elsewhere.”2 A CSA supports your local economy, meaning the money stays in your region or city. You also know where your food is coming from!
Last, since the produce is so fresh it’s also much more nutritious and healthier for our bodies. You’re also more likely to try new vegetables and new recipes.
Cost
The cost can range between $400 and $800 per year, and it is usually an upfront payment for a season’s worth of produce. Some, like ours, offer a weekly or bi-weekly payment option. We purchased a half share since there are just 3 of us, and we pay $42 every other week for a large box (see below). At first, that seemed like a lot, but I was spending that much on produce anyway, and while some of it was organic, it certainly wasn’t local.
The Unboxings
Now, to the best part – the unboxings! It’s like receiving a gift, in that what’s inside is a surprise!
Box 1
In the first box, in mid-May, I received a lot of greens. I took photos as I unpacked it to show the layers of food.
Underneath, I found cauliflower, mixed spring greens, and red beets.
I made a salad immediately after unpacking the box. The mixed spring greens were the best and freshest I’ve ever tasted.
Next, I found bok choy and radishes.
In the plastic bag underneath was a huge head of romaine lettuce.*
At the bottom were two large bunches of scallions (green onions) and two ripe yellow tomatoes.
Box 5
By July, we were up to our fifth box of the season since we have a half-share. This time, I individually photographed the produce.
*The CSA sometimes uses plastic to separate its produce. I’ve emailed them to see if there are alternatives to plastic that they can use.
Cooking
Each time I receive our box, I make vegetable plates for dinner. Most recently, I made roasted potatoes, roasted okra with cumin and chili powder, and a tomato cucumber salad. No meat, no recipes, no fuss! Just delicious, healthy food.
Here’s a meal I made in June using produce from the CSA box:
Overall, I’m super happy with the community-supported agriculture box! It’s super fresh, organic, and nutritious!
You can look for one where you live too by searching “CSA near me” on Google, or check localharvest.org. If there isn’t one in your area, your best bet to find local produce is to shop at the nearest farmer’s market.
Let me know if you’ve tried one! I’d love to hear about your experience. Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe!
All photos in this article by Marie Cullis unless otherwise noted.
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