HY 1/08: Dreaming of Farm-Fresh Produce?

Growing up, Brookie Bunn always enjoyed a variety of fruits and vegetables from her father’s garden. But when she started grocery shopping for her own family, she passed by favorites like beets because her family didn’t like them. “I bought foods I knew everyone would enjoy,” she says.

The Bunn family’s eating habits changed last year after the 46-year-old Mertztown woman read a newspaper article about community-supported agriculture (CSA). Under this concept, residents help support local farmers by paying in advance for fruits and vegetables. In return, each week during the growing season (June-November), members receive their share of the harvest.

“We joined last season,” says Bunn, who likes providing healthy, organic produce for her family while also helping preserve open space. “We’ve tried foods that I would never have picked up in a store,” she says. “And, I’m eating beets again!”

CSA farms are gaining in popularity, according to farmers John and Aimee Good, who run Quiet Creek Farm in Kutztown. “There are 1,500 to 2,000 across the country, most of them organic,” John says. Organic foods are grown without chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers, and with environmentally friendly techniques like composting.

Another benefit of getting your fruits and vegetables from CSA farms is the freshness. “The average grocery tomato travels 1,500 miles from field to shelf,” John says. “CSA produce is typically picked a day or two before you come get it.” At CSA farms like Quiet Creek, members also can visit a “you-pick” garden to harvest certain items (like herbs and tomatoes) for dinner that night. “The freshness is amazing,” Bunn says. “Lettuce, radishes and cucumbers are so crunchy and delicious.”

Belonging to Quiet Creek has made Bunn more creative in the kitchen. “You learn to eat what’s in season and use foods you’ve never tried before,” she says. “You still have variety; it’s just not at your whim.” Nice as it may be to find tomatoes in the supermarket in January, they’re not locally grown.

Eating produce in season is a healthy practice, says dietitian Amy Hollister of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “The fresher the item, the higher the vitamin and mineral content,” she says. “Seasonal buying is more economical, too. When produce is plentiful, prices are lower.”

Finally, CSA farms create a sense of community. “Neighbors talk about what’s in their share that week and exchange recipe ideas,” Aimee says. Families bring their children to the you-pick garden. “Parents tell us their kids are more willing to try different fruits and vegetables when they help pick them,” she says.

Want to Know More? For a list of local CSA farms, information on organic foods or a harvest season chart, call 610-402-CARE or visit lvh.org/healthyyou.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, January-February 2008