Do you know what a CSA is and how it can benefit you, your family, local farmers and the planet?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box programs run from local (usually organic, even if not certified as such) farmers who share their produce with the community in exchange for a small weekly or monthly fee.
Among the many advantages of joining a CSA are:
- Your vegetables, fruits and eggs are guaranteed to be local: this saves gas and the whole impact transportation has on greenhouse emissions, but it also ensures food doesn’t need preservatives to keep them “nice” for weeks while they travel around the world!
- You’ll be eating seasonal food, which is healthier and the natural way to eat: when we eat strawberries and tomatoes in December, we are eating food that was either transported from far away or was produced in greenhouses. In both cases, this food is suing too much energy, creating more greenhouse emissions and probably full of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives to keep it “nice” against the odds…
- You would meet the people who are producing what you eat: you will make new friends, can ask questions and even participate in the process of growing some of your food!
- It is a great way to teach your children about how food is grown and where it comes from (and engage them in eating more vegetables!)
- You contribute to the local economy, as your $$$ don’t end up in the pockets of obscure corporations and thousands of middle men. Your money stays wher is produced and you help real people living around you
- You’ll learn about local vegetables and fruits you may not have been aware they existed: the first time I received my CSA, I learned about kohlrabi and how to cook/eat it!
If you live in Surrey, you can try Zaklan Heritage Farm www.zaklanheritagefarm.com/csa
If you live in South Surrey/White Rock, you can try Arocha Farm: http://www.arocha.ca/bc-centre/brooksdale-csa/
If you live in any other city/neighbourhood of the Lower Mainland, try finding more CSA’s from here: http://www.farmfolkcityfolk.ca/resources/knowledge-pantry/csa/ or check by city from here: http://www.bcfarmfresh.com/farms/
For more Food related resources in Surrey (from Food banks to Community Kitchens and updated list of Community Gardens, check here: http://foodactioncoalitionswr.com/resources/