Showing posts with label year-round CSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label year-round CSA. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spring CSA Update

Well, I've got about a month left in my Winter veggie CSA, so just thought I'd post an update. Although I am mightily tired of turnips right now, it has definitely been my best winter ever, food-wise, and I don't think I'll ever return to grocery store vegetables (other than while in between CSAs - a just-right span of about 6 weeks). Having fresh salads, greens, and other yummy organic locally grown food all winter was often the only bright spot in each long, cold, wintery week. It felt like it just gave a little taste of spring in each reusable bag.... (Below is a picture of my share from a month or so ago. It's a bit hard to see through the bags, but contents included kale, turnips, carrots, shitake mushrooms, spinach, salad mix, and sunflower sprouts. Not bad for February in Ohio!)

Winter CSA contents.
I am definitely looking forward to the variety of summer, however! As awesome as fresh salad greens are, I am really excited for green beans, tomatoes, corn, and all the other summer fare. Don't get me wrong, they do have a nice variety (and decent quantity) during the winter, but shitake mushrooms, spinach, and turnips can eventually get a little repetitive. Luckily lately we've been blessed with some different types of greens (kale, Swiss chard, collards, etc.), and I think there are some other fun things coming soon as well. But it's nice to know that summer is on its way!

In the meantime, if you're like me, in need of some new recipes for your CSA goodies, be sure to check out our Cooking From Scratch blog for recipes I post that frequently include CSA ingredients. (I just posted one yesterday for a Shitake Mushroom & Spinach Pizza that was amazing!)
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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Winter CSA Goodies

red chardImage via WikipediaThink there's no way you could get fresh local veggies in the winter where you live? You could be wrong. Really wrong!  We've posted a few articles on here lately about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), but maybe you're thinking there's no way there is one in your area. Well, maybe not, but with the growing popularity of CSAs in the last few years, there have been a number of winter options springing up.

For example - see below post, on the goodies from one of Tucson's local winter CSAs (this was what shareholders received last week):

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010 – Week 3 of 11
Navel Oranges, Butternut Squash, Purple Top Turnips, French Breakfast Radishes, Curly Mustard Greens, Baby Kale, Spinach, Green Onions.
Publish Date: 12/14/2010 15:59
http://www.tucsoncsa.org/2010/12/wednesday-dec-15-week-3-of-11/

Cucurbita moschata 'Butternut'. Original descr...Image via WikipediaOkay, you're thinking, but Tucson isn't exactly the heart of the snowbelt....  Well, I can tell you that I live in central Ohio (really not a year-round warm climate, to say the least), and last week I got a big lovely bag of sweet potatoes, collard greens, swiss chard, salad mix, sprouts, mushrooms, apples, and winter squash - all grown organically and within less than 2 hours from my home. While there may be a bit less variety than in a summer CSA share, I'm definitely still well-fed on fresh local produce, even throughout the winter months (in fact, my grocery shopping is cut more than in half now). (Sorry - these pictures aren't from mine - I forgot to take one; I will try to remember to take one of my next share, and post here soon.)

Here is the CSA I am currently a member of, if you are in the Central Ohio area, and are interested in learning more:

Athens Hills CSA: December 8th Newsletter
Nestled in the hills of Athens County, lies a 120 acre farm - the home of Green Edge Organic Gardens & the Athens Hills CSA. CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a way for you to have a direct relationship with the farmer who ...
Publish Date: 12/08/2010 11:40
http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-8th-newsletter.html

Next month I will also be signing up for several months of local meats, again through a CSA.

Visit www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html to learn more about CSAs, and find out how to find one in your area. And you, too, may be able to eat local, even during the non-gardening season!
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