Community Supported Agriculture

Veggies from the Farm! (taken from their website)

Well, folks... we did it! Nathan & I officially joined our first CSA. We're a part of Bountiful Blessings Farm's Winter 2011 CSA, wherein we invest in a share of crops & receive fresh produce straight from the farm every other week! We are SO excited to have fresh veggies straight from the ground of a local farm. It's going to be an amazing challenge to learn how to cook all sorts of new veggies we aren't yet used to. I consider this one of our big married-couple-challenges, and I can't wait to get started. Our first batch of fresh produce is on October 27th, and then every other week until mid-April. I'll get to meet the farmers who grow my food and play a part in "community supported agriculture." I've thought about joining one for a while, but never very seriously. Basically, I just thought it sounded like an awesome idea but never thought I'd actually join one myself. But now I have, and I'm thrilled. It's a lot less daunting knowing I have someone to walk through it with me.

CSAs are really a beautiful thing. When community members pay up front for a share, it provides the farmers with the funding needed to get crops going for the season. It's a cool "business model" (business? yuck.) because it utilizes reciprocal responsibility and reward. The community members help the farmers financially in order to begin their growing season, and then the farmers work hard all season to provide the community members with fresh food. It's a great way to keep fresh food in the community and preserve the culture of farm growing in the South.

This photo makes me want a life on a farm. (also from their website)

Check out the farm, Bountiful Blessings Farm, & read their story! They've got a neat history and an awesome, big family keeping it going.

Bountiful Blessings Farm. Isn't it gorgeous!!! (photo from their website)

I'll definitely be updating the Blogging world on our first CSA adventure, including our veggie discoveries and our cooking endeavors. I'll be utilizing my "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian" book by Mark Bittman. It's going to be SO useful; it's pretty much just a guide to vegetables and different dishes. If you want to know ways to cook Kale, just look it up in the index, find the pages, and read all about methods for cooking kale, things to eat with kale, and dishes to make with kale. Basically, it's going to be my go-to CSA cookbook.

Best. Cookbook. Ever. (Thanks mom! perfect Christmas gift!!)

Countdown to first CSA produce pick-up: One Month & counting...