Posts Tagged ‘community supported agriculture’

Six Great Ways to Celebrate April: National Gardening Month

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Image source: Squakfox.com

We always think of the act of gardening as a celebratory event. But during the month of April, our green thumbs get an extra special boost because it is National Gardening Month, as designated by the National Gardening Association (NGA). So even if you have never planted a single thing in your life, April is an excellent time to get started.

6 Great Ways to Celebrate National Gardening Month

(1) Host a Plant Swap Party

The basic gist of a plant swap is to ask your friends to bring a few plant starts that they have divided from their gardens. Most perennials can be easily divided and therefore are easy to share. Make sure that you, as the host, have extra containers on hand, and plant markers, such as Popsicle sticks or plastic spoons that can be written on with a permanent marker. Make it clear to your guests what they are expected to bring to swap- you may wish to include seeds and bulbs, or even tools and gardening books. We think plant swaps are an awesome idea because they can truly save you a lot of money. To make your plant swap special, consider serving iced tea and a yummy garden-inspired treat, like these Rose-Walnut Scones. (And you can learn how to make your own rose water here!)

(2) Organize a Neighborhood Garden

Chances are, if you live in a big city, you’ve witnessed an awesome trend that has started to grow lately. Driving down the street, you may notice an unexpected green patch next to an apartment building, or a plot of flourishing herbs and vegetables next to a vacant lot. These community gardens have been started by individuals who wish to maintain a garden, but don’t have a yard in which to do it. The community collectively shares the responsibilities and decides what to grow- some are flower-filled relaxing spaces, while others are vegetable gardens from which the harvest is donated to a local food bank. For tips on how to start your own neighborhood garden, check out this guide from Urban Harvest.

(more…)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Garden, Grow, Healthy Livng | 2 Comments »

What is a CSA, and Why Does It Matter?

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Fresh, local produce

We have a dream here at aHa! Modern Living. Our dream is that all of the produce we consume will be fresh, organic, and locally grown. If we don’t grow it ourselves, we want to know exactly where it comes from. Ideally, we’d even like to have a relationship with the farmer, and the opportunity to visit his or her land. Sound like a far off and starry-eyed hope? Well, by participating in CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, it can be a reality rather than a distant dream.

Becoming a member of a CSA is an excellent way to ensure that you will have a steady supply of fresh produce, as well as to support a local farm. Therefore, it is a great way for you to maintain a healthy diet, try new foods, avoid giving your money to large farming corporations, and bolster your local economy all in one.

When you become a member of a CSA, you make a financial contribution to a local farm, therefore becoming a member or shareholder. In return, you are supplied with a season’s supply of fresh food from the farm, (with a season typically running from late spring through early fall.) Check out this video to learn more about how CSAs are formed, and why they matter:

To find out if you have a CSA in your area, you can visit the Local Harvest website and type in your zip code in the space on the right side of the screen. CSAs have gained popularity in recent years, so it is likely that you can find one near you. While in 1990 there existed only approximately 100 CSAs in the United States, today that number has grown to over 1,000.

7 Questions to Ask When Joining Community Supported Agriculture:

  1. What does the farm grow? Ask for a harvest schedule and a list of crops. Make sure to consider that you may also find farms that offer meat, eggs, dairy, herbs, and/or flowers.
  2. What is the farm’s season? Most farms do not harvest during the winter. But depending on where you live, you may find one that does.
  3. Is the farm organic? Some farms practice organic farming, yet do not undergo the costly process to receive legal organic certification. Decide ahead of time what your standards are in regards to organic farming, and find a farm that meets your standards.
  4. Does the farm offer delivery? Most farms deliver produce on a weekly basis to their shareholders. Find out if you will receive home delivery, or if you will need to pick up your food at a local headquarters, such as a Co-op. Make sure that delivery dates, places, and times fit your schedule.
  5. How big is a standard share? Will you be receiving one pound of produce per week, or five pounds, or ten?
  6. How are payments made?Most farms require the season to be paid for up front. However, some will accept weekly or monthly payments.
  7. What happens when you go on vacation? You don’t want your lovely fresh produce to be delivered to an empty house.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Livng, Shopping | 1 Comment »

10 Ways To Become a Locavore

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

What is a locavore, you ask? The term was first coined in 2005 by four women in San Francisco who proposed that people try to eat only food that has been raised, grown, or produced within a 100-mile radius of their hometown. So if it makes it easier to remember, you can think of “local-vore” instead. To be a locavore means to eat locally.

Over the past 5 years, the locavore movement has picked up steam. In 2007, the New Oxford American Dictionary made the term itself their word of the year, which helped to garner some support and attention to the movement. Many people are discovering that eating locally has numerous benefits: food is more nutritious and tastes better, the conservation of fuel is promoted by avoiding supermarket fare that has been trucked hundreds of miles to get there. The locavore way of life is both nutritionally and ecologically sound.

When preparing to become a locavore yourself, you may find yourself wondering, what is the most logical first step? The first step to the locavore way of life is to embrace the fact that no effort you make is too small. Any step you take to support farmers in your area, protect your family’s health, and save the environment is a worthy step.

Here are ten ways to become a locavore:

(1) Shop at a farmers’ market. Farmers’ markets are a wonderful way to support local businesses because you buy directly from the farmers; the middle man is eliminated. While many people assume that a market will contain only produce, we would encourage you to attend one in your area- we think you will find that much, much more is available. You can often find local meats, cheeses, and even handmade beauty products such as lotions and soaps. One of our aHa! contributors shops her local farmer’s market in North Carolina for everything from local honey to goat cheese. So bring your own canvas shopping bags and prepare to stock up. To find a farmers’ market in your area, you can search the USDA’s guide to farmers’ markets.
(2) Closely examine your supermarket. Some grocery stores have recently made a concerted effort to carry local products. If you are not able to clearly identify where your meat, dairy, and produce come from, ask your supermarket manager. Inquire as to where your favorite products come from. Grocery stores do have the ability to change their purchasing practices. So make sure you voice your opinion, and encourage others to do the same. You can affect a change if you lobby!
(3) Choose 3 foods per week that you can swap out for local products. It is not practical to throw away every item in your pantry and fridge all at once and replace it with all local products. Instead, make an effort to select 3 to 5 different local foods that you can stock your fridge and pantry with each week. Make a gradual, slow transition. Overall, this may take a few years. That’s okay.
(4) Find your local Community Supported Agriculture. A Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a program that allows you to be directly affiliated with a local farm. You invest in the farm in exchange for a weekly supply of its products. Being a member of a CSA is a wonderful way to introduce yourself to various types of fresh local produce that may not otherwise find their way into your cart. It also gives you the opportunity to eat ultra-fresh and nutritious produce, and develop a relationship with a local farmer. To find a CSA in your area, visit this website and type your zip code in the box on the right hand side.
(5) Learn to preserve local foods. Eating locally means that depending on where you live, you may have a lack of fresh fruits and veggies during the winter. So take the time now, when summer veggies are delicious and plentiful, to pickle, freeze, dry, and can them. Come winter, you’ll have a great supply of yummy, local fruits and veggies available to you. Chutneys, sauerkrauts, jams, jellies- you have many different options.
(6) Frequent restaurants in your area that support local farmers. Most restaurants have websites now, so do your homework! Look for the restaurants in your area that use local produce, meats, fish, and cheeses. Depending on where you live, you may be surprised by what you find. There are hundreds of seafood restarants in coastal areas, but many of these restaurants serve imported, rather than local, seafood. Don’t make assumptions based on location.
(7) Host a 100-Mile Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated with a feast of all locally caught, hunted, and harvested foods. So this year, host a Thanksgiving celebration in which you ask all of your friends and family members to bring a dish that was made only from foods that have come from a 100-mile radius of their homes. And while you’re at it, why wait til Thanksgiving? Try hosting a local dinner party or brunch.
(8) Buy from local vendors. While the local coffee house down the road from you may not have grown their own coffee beans, you are still helping to support your local economy by buying your beans from them. There is a difference between “locally grown” and “locally produced.” You can support your economy and the locavore way of life either way.
(9) Keep a journal of the instant and long-term health benefits of eating locally. A locavorian diet is not a weight-loss plan, but it does stand to improve your health in many ways. Be aware of how good and energized you feel; this will help you stay motivated to continue to make the effort to eat locally. One drastic change that you will notice right away is that you will eliminate nearly all (if not all) processed foods from your diet. And unless you live on the corn-belt or near a factory that produces corn-derived food additives, you’ll find that you will eliminate corn syrup from your diet.
(10) Prioritize your expenses. Local, organic milk may be more expensive than the cheap stuff at the grocery store. But if you cut out just one cup of espresso per week, it makes up for the added expense. When making a transition to the locavore way, accept that there will be a few start-up costs. Your first year of being a locavore will require the most time, effort, and monetary expenditure. You must research the best sources for local products, and be willing to spend time picking up and preserving certain foods that may be available for only a brief period of time each season. However, remember that when you buy a tomato locally, you are paying for just the tomato. You are not paying for the gas that was used to truck the tomato hundreds of miles across the country.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthy Livng, Shopping | 5 Comments »