Like visiting farmers’ markets, but can’t seem to get out of bed early enough? Consider subscribing to a CSA box, which brings the farm and its seasonal produce to you.
CSA, or community-supported agriculture, is a partnership between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Supporters, or subscribers, cover a farm’s yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season’s harvest. The subscribers’ fees pay for things like seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance and labor. In return, the farm provides a supply of beautiful, seasonal fresh produce to the subscribers throughout the growing season.
What to expect:
Once a week, the farm will assemble a sturdy box of a wide selection of produce for subscribers. In some cases, depending on the season and the farm’s crop availability, the farmer may purchase produce from other nearby growers to complement the CSA box selection. Each week the contents of the box will be a mystery to subscribers until it is opened – and that’s a big part of the fun. The program encourages subscribers to try fruits and vegetables, at their most seasonal and flavorful, that they may never have tasted. The box often contains recipes and information about the farm’s activities, and many CSA growers invite subscribers to special events several times a year.
The CSA boxes are usually delivered to a central neighborhood location (often a small restaurant) so members can pick them up easily.
Here’s a few local farms offering CSA subscriptions:
Soil Born Farms
Sacramento
http://www.soilborn.org/csa.html
(916) 916.363.9685
Del Rio Botanical
West Sacramento
http://www.delriobotanical.com
(916) 919-1843
Full Belly Farm
Guinda, Yolo County
http://www.fullbellyfarm.com/csa.html
530-796-2214
Good Humus produce
Capay, Yolo County
http://www.goodhumus.com/pages/csa.htm
(530) 787-3187
Terra Firma Farms, Inc.
Winters, Yolo County
http://www.terrafirmafarm.com/Intro.html
(530) 756-2800
