Green Cay Open House

On Valentine's Day there was an open house at the CSA we belong to. The farm is about a mile from our house by car and much closer if we could walk and there wasn't a canal between us. That is really really local. It was a beautiful sunny day, cool, of course, because that is the kind of winter we are having here in Florida.

We had signed up for the 11 AM tour, so we arrived a little early to deliver our contribution to the potluck lunch and be sure that we could get to the tour starting point in time. We were warmly greeted by the farmer, Nancy and her husband. The event was very well organized and went perfectly. With the tour beginning at 11 and ending at about noon.

We walked to the fields and up and down rows as Nancy explained some of the challenges of growing produce: insects, rabbits, the weather. They now have some electric fencing to try to keep the rabbits from eating all of the green beans. I like it that they use organic methods whenever possible. I also liked it that we had the opportunity to pick cherry tomatoes (lots of cherry tomatoes) and some greens as well.

It was fun to meet other members of the CSA and to talk about what they cook with the fabulous vegetables we are getting in our boxes. After a tasty lunch, we said good bye and drove 3 minutes back home.

Veggies4U (make that for me!)

The area just north of where I live is called Boynton Beach and in Boynton Beach there is a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Community Services describes a CSA as

"a partnership between farmers and consumers. In conventional agriculture, the farmer bears all the risk of production, but CSA allows farmers to share farming’s risks—and its rewards—with consumers. CSA revolves around a community of people who pledge their financial support to a farm. At the beginning of the growing season, members pay a fee to cover the cost of the farm’s operations and the farmer’s salary. In return, each member receives a weekly share of the farm’s bounty—typically a box of fresh vegetables and herbs, though the box might also include fruit, honey, eggs, and even meat. For farmers, CSA offers a fair, steady source of income—and a way to revitalize the small family farm. Consumers, on the other hand, get fresh, great-tasting produce grown in a sustainable manner by someone they know and trust."

It lists only 10 CSA's in all of Florida, so I am really lucky to have one nearby. Last year I applied to become a member of Green Cay Produce/Farming Systems Research Inc., the CSA in Boynton Beach. There are more people who want to be members than the Farm can accomodate, however, so I was placed on a waitlist and never did get a chance to join. This year, I was watching for the announcement that applications for membership were being accepted and this year, I was in time. Hurray! I am now a member of a CSA.

I will receive a box of just harvested vegetables on an established schedule and I opted to pick up at the Farm myself rather than have the box delivered to my home. I received driving directions from the Farm and was astonished at the location. The Farm nearly adjoins the gated community I live in. My produce is going to have an incredibly low number of miles to travel from growing field to my kitchen!

So I will receive really fresh produce grown with minimal chemicals (this is Florida!) and I will be supporting a local farm. When my farmer son starts a CSA in upstate New York, I hope there will be lots of people like me who sign up to support him.