CSA Box: Week 1

CSA boxes are becoming popular throughout the United States. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and happens when a farmer gets a group of locals who agree to pay for a weekly distribution of his seasonal produce. Sometimes it's only fruit and veggies but it can also contain meat or dairy as well. When one of my favorite local farmers announced in their weekly email that they were adopting a CSA program this Spring I couldn't wait to sign up. J&S Farms has a stand located off Sandy Ridge Road. About a mile or so past the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market on your right. They are dedicated to providing fresh, local and organic food for our community.

This past Sunday I picked up our 1st box. They had indicated in the email that due to the recent weather the amounts would be smaller than expected. Please note that this is a chance you take whenever you sign up for a CSA box. No one can predict how Mother Nature will allow the produce to grow and at what rate. I was still pleased with what I brought home. A bunch of kale, spinach, and leaf lettuce as well as red beets and greenhouse tomatoes. I've already made a bunch of kale chips (recipe provided shortly!) and Andrew - who hates kale chips - could not believe what a difference this fresh organic produce made! I even made a second batch today. I made salads for lunch today with the leaf lettuce and it is unbelievable how much of a difference this produce makes. It's like I am tasting these veggies for the first time. I cannot wait to see how the rest of this CSA experience goes!

We are very lucky to have honest and dedicated farmers like J&S nearby. Unfortunately not everyone shares those same values. My sister-in-law signed up for a CSA program outside of Roanoke, VA and was completely scammed. The "farmer" ran off with everyone's money. Apparently this guy already had a criminal background filled with forgery and other red flags but it was all discovered afterwards. Please make sure to do a little bit of your own research to confirm that your CSA program is legit. I will be providing updates on our weekly produce!