This week I opened my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box to find gold chard, red Russian kale, carrots, beets, green garlic, thyme, potatoes, leeks and sun-dried white peaches. Inspired, I invited my in-laws for an impromptu Friday night dinner of roast chicken, a bounty of roasted vegetables spiced with fresh thyme and garlic and accompanied by steamed greens with leeks. The dinner was simple and full of fresh, local flavors. In the best testament of quality of the meal, my two-year old repeatedly offered her plate up for another helping of beets.
Over the past year I have been pleasantly surprised by the benefits of eating from a CSA box. What at first seemed like a simple box of vegetables has since opened up a world of dietary, environmental and community awareness that had not previously existed for me. It has made me think about the cycles of the seasons, the process and benefits of growing food, the reduction of energy use and the increased community interaction that local farming can foster.
Each week there is a newsletter in the box that explains the weekly functions of the farm, including the effects of changing weather patterns on the crops. In the March 16 letter, the farmers from Riverdog Farm, an organic farm situated in Capay Valley outside of Davis, included some interesting notes on the new season of tomatoes. ‘Believe it or not, the tomato starts are ready to go in the ground! In the greenhouse, their roots have filled out the cells in the trays to the point that each plant can be easily pulled from their cells. We hope to start transplanting them this week if all conditions are good (not too hot, not too windy, little chance of frost, not raining hard, etc.).’ In the summer, the tomatoes in my box will not only be mouthwatering but deeply satisfying as I know their history from seedling to a ripe red summer treat.
Compare this connection and satisfaction of knowing where my food comes from and how it was grown to the vast land of unknowns in large supermarkets. You may be able to feast on blueberries in February, but how did those blueberries find their way to Tahoe City, California, in the dead of winter? The answer is somewhat of a mystery. One thing is for sure, a lot of energy was consumed along the way. Farmers have to deal with the short life span of a ripe fresh blueberry. Blueberries that are to be shipped long distances must be picked before they are ripened and then cooled to a temperature low enough that will prevent decay. The more time a blueberry spends en route the more its nutrient and vitamin levels deteriorate, leaving a less than extraordinary taste. Finally, they are shipped thousands of miles to your local store. According to the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, on average, most fresh foods travel 1,500 miles from farm to point of sale in the U.S. Waiting until summer, like countless generations before us, to eat a fresh juicy blueberry from a local farmer who picked the fruit just days before seems by far the best choice.
Throughout the warm summer months I, and many others, enjoy the produce from Mountain Bounty Farm a 10-acre family farm that is situated high on the San Juan Ridge 12 miles north of Nevada City. Owner and farmer, John Tecklin, broke ground on Mountain Bounty Farm in 1997 with the hope of providing the area with a reliable local source of bountiful, diverse and delicious produce. Tecklin and his family and crew have been providing the area with local produce through distribution of CSA boxes since the farm’s inception, at a time when few other farms were doing so. Since the humble beginnings when Tecklin’s mother drummed up business by handing out flyers in front of a Grass Valley food co-op, the CSA has grown from filling 50 to 250 boxes per week. The boxes are transported to five sites throughout Nevada County, including two in Truckee.
The local produce-loving community in Truckee is a strong and committed bunch. When Tecklin was approached by a woman in the community to bring CSA boxes to Truckee in the fall of 2007 he told her if she could find 25 families who wanted to buy a box he would bring the produce. To his surprise she quickly came up with the families and so began a strong relationship between Mountain Bounty Farm and Truckee. ‘We love the community in Truckee,’ says Tecklin. ‘They have always been incredibly supportive, sending a lot of good words and appreciation emails. They are really excited about the produce we are sending them.’
Tecklin is committed to the community of members who support his farm. In fall 2002, when he heard his subscribers lament about the end of the harvest season, he took action. Because his 10-acre farm lies at 2,600 feet in the mountains and receives 60 inches of cold rain per year it is unable to yield produce throughout the winter. Together with Riverdog Farm from Capay Valley in Guinda and Chaffin Family Orchards in Oroville, Tecklin formed a co-op of small farms that can provide fresh and local produce throughout the winter season. This partnership exemplifies the community-building possibilities when small local farms respond to the needs of the communities they serve.
Eating local and fresh food is quickly becoming a popular concept. Tecklin has witnessed the growth of an appreciation local food sources at his own farm. ‘The idea of CSA really exploded three years ago,’ he explains. ‘There was a much bigger thing happening, there was a buzz about local food. Since then there has been a general growth of all things green. This may have been aided by books from local food proponents like Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver.’
Recently Michelle Obama, with a classroom of elementary students, broke ground on the White House lawn to build an organic, sustainable garden. In the Washington Bureau of the Chicago Tribune she explained, ‘The whole point of this garden, for us is that I want to make sure that our family as well as the staff and all the people who come to the White House and eat our food will get access to really fresh vegetables and fruits.’
In her book, ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,’ Author Barbara Kingsolver beautifully explains the benefits of eating from local sources, ‘Eating home cooked meals from whole, in-season ingredients obtained from the most local source available is eating well, in every sense. Good for the habitat, good for the body.’
10 Reasons to Eat Local:
1. Fruits and vegetables that are grown locally taste better as they have been harvested within a few days of being served.
2. Eating local opens culinary horizons, offering a variety of seasonal fresh produce.
3. Eating local builds community. As described by Brian Halweil, author of ‘Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket,’ when [buying locally] at farmer’s markets shoppers have 10 times as many conversations than at supermarkets.
4. Eating local keeps us in touch with the seasons. Through the color, quality and taste of our food, CSA subscribers are linked with the seasonal cycles of local farms and the whimsical patterns of nature.
5. Eating local decreases our carbon footprint. It reduces transportation and energy costs and eliminates wasteful packaging.
6. Eating local puts money into the local economy. According to a study from the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent on locally-owned businesses generates twice as much income for the local economy.
7. Eating local creates a direct conversation between the farmer and the consumer whereby each benefits from the other. Consumers can participate in farming through a work/food exchange or by simply reading the weekly farm updates. Farmers produce a variety of produce that keeps consumers satisfied.
8. Eating local supports responsible land development. Our financial support helps keep productive farmland and open pastures safe from urban sprawl and development.
9. Knowing the story of our food is another way to enjoy eating. An apple pie baked with a unique type of local apple has a multidimensional appeal.
10. Eating local introduces our children to the real taste of fresh produce and encourages life-long, healthy eating habits.
