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August 14, 2007

Local Légumes: From Regional Raspberries To Civic Cabbages

We Californians are spoiled when it comes to many things - the mediterranean-like climate alone makes the Central Valley ideal for producing a variety of crops almost all year long. However, this summer I've had a rather rude awakening - the rest of the country doesn't have it so good. It seems now like Santa Cruz, California, is the epicenter of organic living, sustainable farming, and a year-long spread of fresh, yummy produce.

Let's start back in late March, early April... my husband and I were considering purchasing a piece of property in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After deciding we liked the house itself, we did some local research, including going to the local markets. Ironically, the organic rasberries we saw in the markets of New Hampshire were from: *heh* Santa Cruz county, California.

My first thought: I didn't come 3,234 miles (says Google Maps) to eat my own (I believe I used the word "freakin") California raspberries. And they've not traveled well. And, oh, look, they're almost $8 for a pint?!

Now I've spent most of the summer in New Hampshire and the produce has gotten better as the Northeastern growing season has produced its first crops for the summer, the peaches from New Jersey aren't bad. I've had some fantastic lettuce, blueberries and apples from some family friends' gardens in Vermont, and my herb gardens are out of control due to all the rain.

Still, I haven't found great produce in regular supply, but I know it's around. Farmers' Markets are around but not as close as I would like. However, recently I have been looking into CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in the area.

Basically, a CSA is a program where people in an area buy "shares" of a farm's produce for the year. Sometimes you have the option of actually doing a little community work on the farm as well. In return for your share, you receive a portion of the farm's bounty, usually weekly. Most CSAs are organic in nature, but they may include fruits, veggies, eggs, and even fresh meats - depending on your region. The produce is brought to you super-fresh and virtually free of packaging.

Growing seasons vary greatly in the United States. For example, in Santa Cruz, CA, the CSAs may run for 33 weeks - from March to November. However, in New Hampshire, they tend to run July through October, which is only half as many weeks. Think of it as a farm subscription.

A great resource I came across while searching for CSA's was LocalHarvest, a web directory of farmer's markets and CSAs, and other organic retailers. I could research some of the CSAs in my area and even see what kinds of produce they grow yearly. One last note - CSAs work on the principle of paying for your subscription in advance. From what I've seen, this generally works out to between $15-40 a week, so don't let the overall subscription numbers phase you immediately.

Posted by sorsha at August 14, 2007 2:27 PM