CSAs Offer Eating Adventures!
By Kia Armstrong and Patty McManus-Huber of Nash’s Organic Produce
Originally published in Peninsula Families Today, an advertising supplement produced by Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette.
Spring has finally sprung and farmers all over the Olympic Peninsula are shaking off winter’s chill and eagerly prepping fields for row crops and grains, and filling greenhouses with veggie transplants. It’s an exciting time of year, as seeds for future harvests are sown, and local growers put everything they’ve got into the new growing season. Local farmers are committed to growing healthy food for their community, and Spring is a perfect opportunity for local families to partner with growers to make it all happen.
Farmers face many challenges especially early in spring when their product range is smaller. Winter produce is gone and fields are being planted for the upcoming season. But it’s also an expensive time of year when farmers need to purchase seed, diesel, and equipment, plus hiring seasonal workers. In a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, families pay upfront for the boxes of fresh food they will receive all summer and fall. By investing in their local growers, families not only literally help plant the farm, but forge a meaningful relationship with the people and land producing their food.
CSAs offer an opportunity for families to not only eat seasonally, but to understand the ups and downs of farming. Every time Mom and Dad pick up the weekly box, kids gain insight into what’s in season at that moment, and they also have the chance to learn why this region doesn’t grow certain crops (like mangoes or melons) but has a bounty of other produce (like carrots, beets, berries and brassicas). Tips and recipes for preparing lesser-known veggies, like kohlrabi or fava beans, are usually shared in weekly newsletters, and the CSA box becomes a treasure trove of information and culinary inspiration.
Kids love picking up the family’s weekly box directly from the farm, or at a farmers market. It’s fun to open the box and be surprised by the fresh colors and flavors! Children are often more game to try new veggies if they have a connection to where they have been grown. Once you have signed up for a CSA, contact your farm and see if there are any opportunities to visit, so your family can actually see the place where your food was produced.
Several Olympic Peninsula farmers offer CSA programs, including Chi’s Farm, River Run Farm, Salt Creek Farm, and Nash’s Organic Produce. You can also go online at LocalHarvest.org, or Google “CSA Sequim” or “CSA Port Angeles.” Check one out with your family today and get in on the seasonal eating adventure!