CSA - My new love

I am in love. Ah isn't that sweet? I've been waiting and searching and now it has happened. A beautiful CSA right in my own back yard. I am thrilled and filled with anticipation.

I recently found an organic farm in Orange County that not only grows organically, operates a produce stand, but also has a CSA, which stands for Community Sponsored Agriculture. I have always been curious about the CSA's and wondered what it would be like to be lucky enough to join one. The entire concept is rewarding but living in the city usually limits access to things like this. Getting some organic growers at the farmers market took years and I was thrilled with just that.

The key points about this CSA are that the food is locally grown. The food I will get in my basket is picked in the morning and I pick it up in the afternoon. You can't get much fresher than that. The taste is what food should taste like. A tomato tastes like a tomato not one of those cardboard tasteless things sold in the supermarkets. They practice sustainable agriculture that means they do not ruin the soil, there is no pesticide run off, and they rotate crops to keep the soil healthy for years to come. They provide nutritious food which means not putting pesticides into your body. And when you buy from them you support a local business and the money goes right back into the farm.

The CSA I joined is bi-weekly and I joined for a quarter which will provide us with a basket of fresh produce for the next 3 months. The amount of food in a regular size basket is quite large. They also offer a large basket but with just the two of us we would not be able to use the larger basket. Its' alot of food! Another advantage is that the cost of the basket is far less than I would spend if I went out and bought all the same items at the farmers market. Not only will we be eating better it will be less expensive. Gotta love that.

I can't wait to get my basket and see what's in it. I know there will be things in it that I may not be very familiar with and that fills me with anticipation. I want to learn how to eat some produce I may not have had before or that I have to figure out how to cook. I want to expand my food world.

The farm I found is: http://www.southcoastfarms.com/. You can log on and read about their business and what they have to offer. I found them via Chef Rich at Sage Restaurant, which we frequent. He still goes to the farmers market for ingredients for his kitchen and prides himself on finding small organic growers. That may be partly who he food tastes so good, besides the fact that he is a talented chef.


The picture is from the farm stand and all those tomatoes are organic heirlooms. Each variety has it's own unique flavor. I bought quite a few but within days they were gone. Can't wait to go back and get more.

I will blog about my experiences with the CSA which I am sure will be fun and interesting and I hope you will enjoy the ride with me.