The CSA Chronicles: Buying In

Since moving back to Minnesota after eight years in New York, where my kitchen was Fatoosh Falafel in Brooklyn Heights; having a baby, now a toddler, who eats more than anyone I've ever met; and choosing to work from home so I can raise him "by hand", I've had to learn how to cook. It was unavoidable. And to make it more bearable, I have chosen to approach it like a scholar. This is scholarship for me. I've failed many exams; but slowly I have become a fairly decent cook. My soups are bordering on excellent. My baking is unquestionably atrocious. I take what I can get.

This all being said, I've also had to learn how to go grocery shopping. Because of the economic downturn, we have had to switch from my beloved (and uber-expensive) Byerly's to the giant supermarket chain Cub Foods, which, incidentally, has a terrific organic selection, far more extensive than Byerly's. Since my son was born, I've focused, with laser-like precision, on "organic" products: milk, eggs, vegetables, mac-and-cheese, flour, and so on. But like many people, I was inspired by Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto to become more vigilant about not just the "how" of my food but the "what": leaves, not seeds. Eat "food". Mostly plants. There's countless reasons to do this, including one very compelling reason, which Pollan drew my attention to in his book: Plants obviously contain huge amounts of antioxidants (are your eyes glazing over already?). However, antioxidants aren't just good for our health because they eliminate free radicals (hang with me!). They also help detoxify the body of dangerous chemicals, including carcinogens! That is, eating more plants can assist in ridding our bodies of toxins we are exposed to unwittingly and against our will. The science: they stimulate the liver, Pollan writes, to produce the enzymes necessary to break down the antioxidant itself, enzymens that, onc eproduced, go on to break down other compounds as well, including whatever toxins happen to resemble the antioxidant. That is--toxins, environmental and industrial.

Add to that my obsession with avoiding pesticides and herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics, and you have the inevitable: a CSA. A CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a model of agriculture that puts the consumer and the producer in close contact. They support small, family farms, and make farming a realistic option for younger farmer types. More practically, it's a way for someone like me to get fresh, organic, locally produced and seasonally appropriate produce for a growing season. I recently ventured out into the culinary outskirts of kale, sunchokes, and turnips, and came back hungry for more (to my surprise), so learning how to cook with produce that is totally appropriate yet seldom seen is very exciting to me. But CSAs sell out fast. I acted early and chose a very small CSA called Matoyna's CSA, partnering with Sleeping Cat Organic Farm. A young couple, Jane and James, run the CSA. I take great pleasure in the fact that while I'll be benefitting hugely from the fruits of their labor, my collaboration with them will help them get a leg up.

Typically, CSA shares run between 16-20 weeks, with a box of produce a week. At the beginning of the growing season, the boxes are smaller, around 7-8 lbs of produce; by the middle and end of the growing season, you're talking 25-30lbs. The produce varies, which makes it really exciting for me. In terms of price, shares can usually be bought in halfs or whole shares. Whole shares range from $400-$700, depending on the CSA you choose, and whether you want free-range eggs or other farm goodies. We chose to do the whole share, paying $100 this month to secure our share (and provide James and Jane some cash to get their crop into the ground), and $400 when we do our first pick-up. It's a big outlay, though incredibly fair, and after doing the math, I realized that I'd be saving money this summer and eating much healthier. What's another two or three editing jobs between now and June to cover the $400 when you're talking about something as wonderful as a CSA?

I'll keep you updated on my CSA experience as the summer progresses. Consider joining your own CSA this summer. Now is the time to sign up; I was too late last year when I went looking in March. Check out Local Harvest for information on CSAs in your area.