CSA and the Agriculture Support Collective: Remembering the Times

October 28th was our last Plan B CSA box delivery date. Actually, Oct 14th was the official end date for the summer share, but because it came on so suddenly and unexpectedly, I ordered one fall share to soften the blow.

The program went smashingly. Many people were interested in participating, but for 5 of us, our curiosity and appetite took us further, and we formed an Agricultural Support collective and signed up for CSA summer share program. It took a few weeks to figure out the delivery system, having some complications due to the fact that we live in an apartment building that does not have a live person on-site to receive shipments. But with some cooperation and coordination, we all made it work. In the end, we received a summertime's worth of fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables; the ingredients for an endless number of great meals and memories.

My final CSA box contained tomatoes, red onions, broccoli, boston lettuce, arugula, shiitake mushrooms, apples, shanghai bok choy, leeks and butternut squash.

This transformed into:

Kimchi noodle soup with steamed bok choy
Arugula, tomato and shiitake mushrooms with pasta
Boston lettuce and avocado salad with lime dressing
Tomato and cheese sandwiches
Broccoli, leek and smoked cheddar cheese penne casserole
Vegan, gluten-free apple pancakes
Leek and butternut squash soup (photographed with freshly crocheted red baby booties, *ahemshamelessselfpromotion*)

Thank you, Plan B and Agricultural Support Collective, for making this happen!

C -S-yAy

This summer, I'm cheating on the Good Food Box program for the Plan B CSA.

Don't get me wrong. Foodshare's Good Food Box program is amazing. Healthy, extra fresh, super-affordable and mostly local produce. Why everyone isn't jumping on this program is beyond my scope of understanding.

But in my opinion, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one-step up, if you're interested in supporting local growers and you have a bit more money to spend. You may remenber that in 2008, I participated in the Everdale CSA program. Loved it.

My partner thought it would be a great idea to start a "CSA Collective" in our apartment building. He was right; it was a great idea. After some research, I found out that Plan B was the only CSAs that offered home delivery in Toronto. So we spread the news, and in the end, four of neighbors and friends signed up with us. We all now receive a weekly delivery of organic, local fruits and vegetables delivered to our door. Plan B even offered to waive the delivery charge since we had a sizeable order.

This week's share: strawberries, spinach, asparagus, green onions, leaf lettuce, shiitake mushrooms, and the sweetest, crunchiest little red apples I have ever eaten.

Life is a little better thanks to CSA.

CSA --- A Locavore Baby Step

One of the first major milestones in my local food foray was signing up for a CSA this past summer.

CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a system whereby members support a farm operation by sharing the farm costs. In turn, the members receive a share of the harvest. Members usually pay up-front, early in the growing season when the farm operation needs the funds the most (VS the industrial model, where farmers are paid only AFTER the produce is purchased by the consumer.... this even goes for when you buy at the grocery store).

After researching several CSAs available in the Toronto area (e.g. Plan B, Green Earth, Mama Earth, Front Door), I selected Everdale. For me, it was the BEST choice BY FAR:

• Local pick-up (vs delivery.... not sure if it would work for those living in an apartment building)
• Select your own produce (vs receiving a box with surprise produce)
  
• All organic and local produce
• Bonus: free herbs!
  

Not only does Everdale run a CSA, but they also operate a not-for-profit Environmental Learning Centre --- providing farmer training, school programs, and educational tours and workshops open to the public. They are located about an hour's drive north-west of Toronto.

For more information about Everdale, visit www.everdale.org.

Photo: small Everdale share from early October, plus produce from the Trinity-Bellwoods Farmers Market -- carrots, beets, celeriac, potatoes, tomatoes, parsnips, onions, peppers, butternut squash.

Writer's note: I personally don't like the term "locavore". Though it's clever, it suggests "better-than-thou" and food snobbery. My aversion has grown considerably since I heard the term used on Lipstick Jungle (a TV show about 3 rich, whiny New York women) when the annoying, stuck-up character played by Brooke Shields was organizing a Locavore Thanksgiving. Barf.