Impact

BEAUTIFULLY SUPPORTED FOOD NOW

Summer crops are now all harvested and autumn crops are rolling in, changing the colors and textures of our markets, tables and plates. Winter storage crops are ready to pick and cure. If you rely on supermarkets for your harvest, you’ll notice it less because there you see fruits and vegetables from all over the world, offering the full spectrum of seasons at the same time -- albeit not all of the same quality at the same time.

But if you rely mainly on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, you’ll see the seasonal shift in your food the same time that your local farmers see it.

Photo: Courtesy of Tanaka Farms. CSA Box.

CSA is a farm share program that creates a closer relationship between farm and community -- between food and people. The concept began in the United States in the 1980s, influenced by European biodynamic farming ideas formulated by Rudolf Steiner. North America now has at least 13,000 CSA farms, and many similar organizations exist in Europe and Japan.They are playing an important role in the transition from an industrial food system to a more ecological one.

Photo: Courtesy of Rocklands Farm. CSA.

CSAs allow city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. Members purchase “shares” of produce from a regional farmers. Their “return” is a box of fresh harvest, weekly or bi-weekly, typically from June until October or November, although some operate all year long.

Photo: Courtesy of Five Points Community Farm Market. CSA.

A “share” is equivalent to a whole year’s worth of beautiful food for you and your family to eat, and it is paid up front, so your farmer can plan for the season, purchase new seed, make equipment repairs, etc.

Photo: Courtesy of The Farm at Echo Bend. CSA Basket in July.

When you directly connect to the land where your food is produced and to the farmers who produce it, you reap enormous rewards. You get incredibly beautiful food that is so fresh and vibrant, it is still alive after harvest. Your food looks and tastes better. You gain a better understanding, as well as better health.

Photo: Courtesy of Modern Farmer. CSA.

Just Food is a non-profit organization that connects New Yorkers to fresh, healthy food, and to the local farmers and producers who make this food happen. Since 1995, Just Food has helped to found and train over 100 CSAs, serving a community now well over 35,000 strong.

Photo: Courtesy of Long Island City CSA.

Just Food has also expanded their platform. Part of their mission is to establish healthy food systems in every neighborhood in NYC, for people, at all income levels, who may otherwise not have access to fresh nutritious food.

Their City Farms program provides services and support to community garden groups to help them start and run successful farmers’ markets and urban farms. It also coordinates free urban agriculture workshops in low-income communities.

Photo: Courtesy of The Bushwick Food Crop CSA.

The Fresh Food for All program helps food pantries make locally grown, fresh-harvested, nutritious food available to families and individuals in need. It also provides helpful information for food pantry staff and clients.

Community Food Education is an inspirational program that teaches people how to create simple, delicious, and healthy meals for themselves and their families. And the program trains community members from diverse backgrounds to become “Community Chefs” who serve as fresh food evangelists at community events and markets.

Photo: Courtesy of Local Roots CSA.

Food has always been a political concern, from issues around feeding the poor, to those concerning food safety, agriculture, engineering, and production. Just Food’s Food Justice program brings information to the people about these issues, shining a light on both government and industry.

Photo: Courtesy of Just Food.

If you are inspired to become a CSA farmer, especially and urban farmer, you might want to enroll in Just Food’s Farm School. The school serves as a resource and support for NYC food growers. Farm school has also inspired other cities to recognize and support urban agriculture.

Photo: Courtesy of Just Food. 2013 Great CSA Smackdown.

We love creative competitions! Just Food’s 2013 Great CSA Smackdown, a city-wide cooking competition for CSA members, is on right now.

The challenge is to cook a spectacular seasonal dish, in just 30 minutes, using locally grown and harvested CSA ingredients. The first round of the competition just ended this past week. The final round ends on November 11, 2013 at the Brooklyn Winery.

Photo: Courtesy of Stone Barns Center.

The Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, is another multi-armed organization that reaches out to local farmers, producers, and eaters. Located 25 miles north of Manhattan, Stone Barns operates an 80-acre farm and CSA. And it and works to increase public awareness of healthy, seasonal and sustainable food, as well as to train farmers in “resilient, restorative farming techniques.”

Photo: Courtesy of Stone Barns Center.

Stone Barns reports to its CSA members that it just harvested a bumper crop -- several hundred pounds of winter squash. Their first winter plantings of field spinach and mache are happening. And their sweet potatoes and honey nut squash are still ripening in the field.

A Stone Barns CSA box is like no other. Stone Barns CSA members will have access to delicious vegetables not available anywhere else, including trial varieties from Stone Barns’ collaborative seed breeding partnerships. You likely won’t recognize the varietal names.

Photo: Courtesy of Stone Barns Center.

For example, a recent CSA box included small, sweet Lunchbox Peppers; long, sweet Carmen Peppers; extra sweet Mokum Carrots; tender Toscano Kale; nutty Panther Edamame in their furry, purple blushed green pods; Cylindra or Red Ace Beets; long, thick Provider Beans; as well as some familars, like mustard greens, parsley, and sage.

Stone Barns CSA also sells it own-grown meats, eggs and seasonal flower bouquets.

And, in case you don’t know what to do with the vegetables you’ve never heard of before, Stone Barns offers plenty of expert tips and beautiful recipes.

Photo: Courtesy of Dinner: A Love Story.

Cookbook author and blogger, Jenny Rosenstratch, of Dinner: A Love Story blogs about her Stone Barns CSA experiences. It is a joy to read.

You can visit Stone Barns, see how they work, explore their fields, pastures, and woodlands, talk to their farmers, and support their cause. Here’s a taste. And, while you’re there, visit Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the farm-to-table restaurant, co-owned and operated by one of our favorite chefs and food activists, Dan Barber.
Photo: Courtesy of Cultivating Sustainability. Star Hollow Farm CSA bounty.

Star Hollow Farm is a small-scale family vegetable farm located in southern Pennsylvania, almost exactly 100 miles north of Washington, DC. They’ve innovated the CSA concept by adding technology to enable an online, free-choice, debit account model.

They grow a wide range of produce and tend a cage-free flock of 125 laying hens, all sold via their online CSA and their farmers market stand in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. Members can time and tailor their purchases to meet their own needs, rather than being beholden to a CSA’s schedule and ration.

Photo: Courtesy of Cultivating Sustainability. Star Hollow Farm CSA bounty.

Star Hollow Farm and its CSA network farmers get improved data on which products sell better than others. This allows them to focus investments in equipment and increasing efficiency while cutting costs on items which don't sell as well.

Photo: Courtesy of Cultivating Sustainability. Star Hollow Farm CSA bounty.

Meanwhile, members participate in a more flexible and cost-effective system, which is a huge benefit to everyone, and is especially important for lower-income residents that need fresh food but cannot afford to spend money on randomly-selected crops.

Get closer to your food and the families growing the food your family eats by joining your local CSA. It’s a beautiful experience.

Photo: Courtesy of Cultivating Sustainability. Star Hollow Farm CSA bounty.