Thanks everyone - agree, agree, agree. I am a huge CSA fan, with the caveat that it's definitely not for everyone. In addition to agreeing with all of your points, I'd add that I actually find it easier to get my CSA box and figure out what to cook using its ingredients than wandering around the co-op or grocery store or perusing cookbooks trying to find ideas.
I support my local co-op and farmers market, for sure - I'm grateful for them both! - but I cannot wait to get my produce directly from the farmers again.
It is certainly interesting to see the view from the other side of the drop site.
CSA is not for everyone. And not all CSAs are the same. Also, it must be noted that CSA is not just a way to get low priced veggies. There is real risk in farming and CSA members share that risk. Imagine being the CSA farmer who gets hailed out in late July. What do you do ?
When Mary and I take a box on Tuesday, we are usually done with it by Friday. So we are always looking in the boxes thinking 'Is that going to be enough ?'
One of our CSA members suggested steaming kohlrabi and eating it with salt and pepper and butter. Her mother put Hollandaise sauce on it. Cooked is much better than raw.
To answer Rashmi's question about why organic is more expensive: We substitute management and labor for oil. Oil is absurdly undervalued so products made from it are very cheap.
Organic farms do have weeds and insect pests to deal with. We can't do nothing, we wouldn't get a crop. So it is human labor that makes the system work. Labor is my biggest expense. In an organic system we pay more of the real cost of the food upfront. That makes it more expensive since we are externalizing fewer of the production costs.
As far as imported organic products, hmmm maybe. It kind of depends on your definition of organic. If you add 300 gallons of diesel fuel to a truckload of Mexican organic produce, is it still organic ? Was US feedlot dairy ever organic ?
Organic certification is only a substitute for knowing your farmer.
Thanks for the great post about our event, Amy and SGT! Local food, as they say, is not a trend, but an imperative. Together I think we can bring sustainable, local food to all Minnesotans. I just spoke at the Midwest Real Food Summit at Mac about sustainable food on college campuses and I was SO impressed with the saavy of the students there and their amazing efforts at schools across the nation. Times are a' changin!
The green pepper shamrocks are awesome!! These are all great ideas - I've got an Irish Soda bread recipe that's tried and true, and the Guinness Milkshake sounds like just the right kind of dessert to top off the day. 8-)
Thank you for your letter and thanks to the Lunch Lady. I grew up in poorer school districts where the lunches were miserable, but because they were cheap or free, it's what we ate. Many children, especially in the inner-city, don't have the choice to bring their lunch to school. I disliked the school lunches, but bringing lunch actually cost my family more money. Even more sobering, the subsidized school lunch was their first meal of the day for some of my friends. (School breakfast wasn't available then, but I'm sure they would've appreciated it.)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that children don't necessarily have a choice about what they eat, so thanks for caring!
I'm always curious to know why Oganic produce are more expensive. If they are grown without any pesticides herbicides chemicals that cost money, then shouldn't they be cheaper?
Also, the organic produce that are grown in Mexico, are they really organic? Is there a way Dept of Agriculture checks and monitors the farming in Mexico? I'm just curious.
We were CSA members for 3 years, and won't be renewing this year. I loved that the CSA introduced us to new vegetables - chard, garlic scapes, and kohlrabi are just a few of the things I had never eaten before, but now love and will buy at the farmer's market. But there's only so much kohlrabi two people can eat, and our preschooler refuses to touch it. The lack of control is really hard. Also, as Bill said, we can easily shop locally at the farmer's markets, and usually more locally than our CSA farm, which is a few hours away, in Wisconsin. I loved the CSA and I am glad we were members while we were, but it just doesn't make sense for our family any more.
Thanks everyone - agree,
Thanks everyone - agree, agree, agree. I am a huge CSA fan, with the caveat that it's definitely not for everyone. In addition to agreeing with all of your points, I'd add that I actually find it easier to get my CSA box and figure out what to cook using its ingredients than wandering around the co-op or grocery store or perusing cookbooks trying to find ideas.
I support my local co-op and farmers market, for sure - I'm grateful for them both! - but I cannot wait to get my produce directly from the farmers again.
It is certainly interesting
It is certainly interesting to see the view from the other side of the drop site.
CSA is not for everyone. And not all CSAs are the same. Also, it must be noted that CSA is not just a way to get low priced veggies. There is real risk in farming and CSA members share that risk. Imagine being the CSA farmer who gets hailed out in late July. What do you do ?
When Mary and I take a box on Tuesday, we are usually done with it by Friday. So we are always looking in the boxes thinking 'Is that going to be enough ?'
One of our CSA members suggested steaming kohlrabi and eating it with salt and pepper and butter. Her mother put Hollandaise sauce on it. Cooked is much better than raw.
Greg
Riverbend Farm
To answer Rashmi's question
To answer Rashmi's question about why organic is more expensive: We substitute management and labor for oil. Oil is absurdly undervalued so products made from it are very cheap.
Organic farms do have weeds and insect pests to deal with. We can't do nothing, we wouldn't get a crop. So it is human labor that makes the system work. Labor is my biggest expense. In an organic system we pay more of the real cost of the food upfront. That makes it more expensive since we are externalizing fewer of the production costs.
As far as imported organic products, hmmm maybe. It kind of depends on your definition of organic. If you add 300 gallons of diesel fuel to a truckload of Mexican organic produce, is it still organic ? Was US feedlot dairy ever organic ?
Organic certification is only a substitute for knowing your farmer.
Greg
Riverbend Farm
Thanks for the great post
Thanks for the great post about our event, Amy and SGT! Local food, as they say, is not a trend, but an imperative. Together I think we can bring sustainable, local food to all Minnesotans. I just spoke at the Midwest Real Food Summit at Mac about sustainable food on college campuses and I was SO impressed with the saavy of the students there and their amazing efforts at schools across the nation. Times are a' changin!
The green pepper shamrocks
The green pepper shamrocks are awesome!! These are all great ideas - I've got an Irish Soda bread recipe that's tried and true, and the Guinness Milkshake sounds like just the right kind of dessert to top off the day. 8-)
Lee, Thank you for your
Lee,
Thank you for your letter and thanks to the Lunch Lady. I grew up in poorer school districts where the lunches were miserable, but because they were cheap or free, it's what we ate. Many children, especially in the inner-city, don't have the choice to bring their lunch to school. I disliked the school lunches, but bringing lunch actually cost my family more money. Even more sobering, the subsidized school lunch was their first meal of the day for some of my friends. (School breakfast wasn't available then, but I'm sure they would've appreciated it.)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that children don't necessarily have a choice about what they eat, so thanks for caring!
Contact me if you are
Contact me if you are interested in purchasing all-natural grass fed beef straight from the rancher.
http://www.hentzefarms.webs.com
I'm always curious to know
I'm always curious to know why Oganic produce are more expensive. If they are grown without any pesticides herbicides chemicals that cost money, then shouldn't they be cheaper?
Also, the organic produce that are grown in Mexico, are they really organic? Is there a way Dept of Agriculture checks and monitors the farming in Mexico? I'm just curious.
Thank you.
Great News Angelique! Thanks
Great News Angelique!
Thanks for spreading the good word!
We were CSA members for 3
We were CSA members for 3 years, and won't be renewing this year. I loved that the CSA introduced us to new vegetables - chard, garlic scapes, and kohlrabi are just a few of the things I had never eaten before, but now love and will buy at the farmer's market. But there's only so much kohlrabi two people can eat, and our preschooler refuses to touch it. The lack of control is really hard. Also, as Bill said, we can easily shop locally at the farmer's markets, and usually more locally than our CSA farm, which is a few hours away, in Wisconsin. I loved the CSA and I am glad we were members while we were, but it just doesn't make sense for our family any more.