I had loved our CSA in London (shout out to Abel + Cole)! It was delivered in a cardboard box that we left out to be collected + reused, when the next box arrived. I learned about + cooked things like celeriac + parsnips for the first time (I know...I'm American). :) We didn't meet a single vegetable that we didn't like...partly because the website connected with the CSA offered recipes + cooking suggestions. When we moved here, I couldn't find a single CSA that was accepting new members. :(
I met Steve for the first time at a Food Circle event where he was promoting the benefits of preying mantises...wearing a worn pair of overalls + a very worn straw hat. Once I realized that there were sellers at our farmers market stocked with vegetables that they bought wholesale...and had not grown themselves...I became very picky about who we bought from. I noticed one booth advertising organic vegetables + there was Steve...same worn overalls + same very worn straw hat. As we became regulars, he started to ask me if I'd heard of some of the less common things he offered...like spaghetti squash + gooseberries...I'd ask how to cook them + take some home to try.
Steve lives near Amish farmers + offered to sell some of their homemade jams, pickles + pasta (!). He, like the Amish, uses no gas-powered machinery on his farm...opting for heavy horses instead.
These first couple weeks have involved a lot more plastic (+ styrofoam- yikes!- but I know that it's a reused one) than I would prefer, but the cold spring has slowed vegetable production + they are making up for that leanness with some other goodies. They told us to return all of cartons, jars, + plastic for reuse.
I'm thinking that if I have too much of something...I can always preserve some for the colder months to come. Nothing will go to waste...but we might just eat a few more salads + green smoothies...nothing to complain about there!
So...yes...we are fans of Community Supported Agriculture...and we are very excited to see what's in our box each week! Thank you for growing our food, Steve...and I like your new straw hat! :)
Love,
Jane