community supported agriculture

Still Searching for a CSA? Consider This...

Posted in Family & Home, Farms & Gardens on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 11:00pm by Alicia Jabbar -

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For years, I would see a vegetable like okra or mustard greens in a grocery store and imagine what it would be like to make a delicious meal with such exotic ingredients. I was constantly promising myself that next week I would find recipes to fulfill my culinary fantasies. But as the weeks passed, it became obvious that I needed something else to get my creativity going. Fortunately, my fiancé knows me incredibly well, and he gave me a CSA subscription as a gift.

Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables Produces Local, Organic Food for the Masses

Posted in Farms & Gardens, Twin Cities on Mon, 02/22/2010 - 1:01pm by lee -

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There’s nothing typical about Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables, located in Rushford Vilage, Minnesota.

The Last Weekly Farmshare Delivery of the Season

Posted in Local Food, Midwest, Organic Food, Sustainable on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 1:17pm by lee -

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This is Harmony Valley's last weekly farmshare for 2009 - after this week, deliveries will come only every other week through the end of the year. I can't help but feel a little bit sad about it, although I know it'll give me a good opportunity to try new foods at my local co-op - and maybe even to get out to the St. Paul Farmers Market a few times in January.

Eating Local: A Trip to Riverbend Farm in Delano, MN

Posted in Local Food, Organic Food, Sustainable, Twin Cities on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 12:49pm by lee -

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"Take these," Greg Reynolds says, handing me a handful of rubber bands and a clipper.

"Ah, uh, mmm…," I stammer.

"They’re for the arugula," he offers. Pull 'em out and clip 'em just below the crown. Then rubber band 'em two times around." Maybe Greg doesn’t realize who he’s talking to, or maybe, more likely, he's having fun at my expense.

Simple Provisions Delivers Real Food in the Twin Cities

Posted in Twin Cities, Sustainable, Specialty Food, Organic Food, Local Food on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 9:01am by lee -

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I'm excited to try out Simple Provisions, a Stillwater-based food delivery company serving the Twin Cities. According to their website:

What's in This Week's Farmshare (CSA) Box?

Posted in Local Food on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 1:19pm by lee -

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The weeks go so fast! I've barely finished last week's box of goodies from Harmony Valley Farm's CSA, and it's Thursday again! To be honest, I do occasionally get a small sense of panic. I don't want to waste any of the amazing foods I'm getting, especially when I consider the work our local farmers have done to produce all this sustainable, organic food - and get it to the city. Sometimes an embarrassment of riches can feel, well, embarrassing.

Today's the Day for my CSA!

Posted in Local Food, Midwest, Sustainable, Twin Cities on Thu, 05/07/2009 - 11:15am by lee -

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The waiting is finally over. On my way home from work tonight, I'll be picking up my CSA box from Harmony Valley Farm. Here's what I'm expecting to pick up (direct from Harmony Valley's "What's In The Box" email newsletter):

Overwintered parsnips -Extremely sweet, as the starch has had time to convert to sugar over the winter. Roast with olive oil until nicely browned.

Twin Cities Local Food Events, April 25 and 26

Posted in Local Food, Organic Food, Specialty Food, Sustainable, Twin Cities on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 9:34am by lee -

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This is a big local, sustainable, and organic food weekend in the Twin Cities, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to a few of the events I'm most likely to try and make it to this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26: Minneapolis Farmers Market The Minneapolis Farmers Market (also called the Lyndale Market on their website), one of the biggest

The Every Kitchen Table Blog: Why CSAs Aren't Enough

Posted in Sustainable, Local Food on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 12:03pm by lee -

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Some of my favorite writing on the topic of local, sustainable food these days comes from Rob Smart in Vermont, whose Every Kitchen Table blog (and Twitter posts) cite some of my favorites (Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser) as inspirations.

Choosing a CSA

Posted in Sustainable, Organic Food, Local Food on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 10:03am by lee -

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CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) provide opportunities for people to eat locally, the get the kinds of foods you would normally find at local farmers markets, and to take part in the agricultural process. Most CSAs require some sort of ongoing commitment, such as a monthly fee in exchange for a weekly box of locally grown vegetables. Depending on where you live, the weekly box may include a wide assortment of mostly-root vegetables (kale, cabbage, squash, turnips in Minnesota, for example) or of anything else grown on a particular farm, in a particular climate. Many CSAs encourage their members to work at the farm for a day or more, to better understand the farming process and to get closer to local, sustainable food. Some require it.

Star Tribune Features Local Food

Posted in Twin Cities, Sustainable, Local Food on Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:57pm by lee -

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strin The Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune recently ran a story about how more people are eating local food and joining CSAs. It's a good article that speaks to increased awareness on the part of Twin Cities eaters. This year, there are more than 40 CSAs serving the Twin Cities (30% more than last year), and the folks at Health Partners are embarking on a study to see if local, sustainable foods might reduce health care costs down the line. Here's a quote from the article: "We know if somebody is eating more produce, they're going to be healthier on average, all things being equal," said Marcus Thygeson, vice president and medical director of consumer health solutions for Health Partners.

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