By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published March 13, 2007, The Maine Switch

Have you ever eaten an ear of sweet corn straight from the stalk? What about a succulent sun-warmed tomato? If so, you know these fit the definition of fabulous food—that which is both nutritious and delicious. As National Nutrition Month, March is a prime time to focus on fabulous food. One of my favorite ways of obtaining said food? Community Supported Agriculture.

There are currently more than one thousand Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sites across the United States. In the CSA program, farms generate money for planting and other operating expenses by selling “farm shares.” Individuals and families receive a portion of that year’s crop in exchange—usually in weekly increments.

My children have benefited from a weekly dose of farm share goodies for the past five years and they are uniformly enthusiastic about this endeavor. Six-year-old Sophie enjoys selecting the right mix of beet greens and broccoli to fill our brown bag; eleven-year-old Abby loves the pick-your-own pole beans. Even thirteen-year-old Campbell is a fan. He points out “Having a farm share keeps you healthy because you want to eat the food that you’ve paid for.”

In the spring, CSA farms begin actively engaging in selling shares. Intrigued by the idea? Chew on this…

When you buy a farm share, you are:

• Treating your senses—traipsing through tall burnt August grasses for your basil bunches, rather than across a store parking lot.
• Getting involved in your food—transforming that basil into pungent pesto, then finding places for that pesto? Fabulous!
• Getting your kids involved in their food—ask Campbell, Abby and Sophie.
• Expanding your palate—broccolini? Mustard greens? Interesting items find their way into the farm share bag.
• Tuning into the seasons—want to learn 101 ways to cook copious late summer zucchini? You’ll get your chance!
• Getting fresher food—produce from chain stores typically travels 1,300 miles from farm to table. Our Sunrise Acres farm share food is from Cumberland, just minutes down the road.
• Getting tastier, more nutritious produce—freshly picked food is more flavorful and vitamin-filled.
• Getting potentially purer food—CSA farms are often organic, which means crops are grown with fewer chemicals.
• Connecting with your neighbors—many a pleasant Friday afternoon conversation can be had while sorting through carrots and cabbages.
• Connecting your kids with their neighbors—though Sophie likes the process of farm share veggie selection, she is equally enamored of the farmer’s young son.
• Supporting the local economy—farm shares keep our dollars where we live.
• Supporting our farmers—since 1935, the U.S. has lost more than 4.7 million farms. We need to keep these guys in business!

Whether you want to support nearby farmers, or fancy the notion of just-picked produce, it is worth considering Community Supported Agriculture. Information on CSA’s, and other ways of obtaining local food, can by found at www.foodroutes.org. Fabulous food is within reach—that sun-warmed tomato is just a few months away…