If you take a gander at the full vegetable share box--overflowing with marvelous produce grown in certified organic dirt--you'll see that, 1. yes, this is a representative share of the Spring-Summer season, and 2. this is also representative of the glory of the CSA experience. Or, shall we say, C-S-Yay! While we are busy mourning the vacancy our veggie shares have left during the fall-to-winter break, we quickly brainstormed some of our favorite (CSA) things, or why having an LFFC CSA share is the best. Please read carefully:
1. With a CSA share, one no longer has to hunt for and miserly gather good produce. Instead, rest assured, the produce one receives weekly from a share, is in fact the best tasting and most nutrient-dense.
2. Experiencing the seasonality of our community's hardiness zone on a foodie level by eating what is currently growing and being harvested.
3. Making only what you have ingredients for is a luxury.
4. Minimal grocery store trips. Need I type more? I think maybe I do: no more (or significantly fewer, or only choice-based trips that include the following) florescent lights, squeaky-wheeled carts that turn like a 1948 Mercury Tudor, mile-high aisles of processed foods packed with preservatives, additives, and low-quality, nutrient-empty ingredients proclaiming to be "natural" or "from nature." Granted, this could be true if that actually means a factory, assembly line, or clean lab.
5. Up front payment. Once and done. Or, if you'd rather--a workable payment plan. Easy budgeting.
6. When we participate in any given CSA season, buying a share--whether it be full, half, fruit, flower, cheese, egg, meat, pork-free, milk--helps to support a number of small, family-owned, certified organic farms in our area--Lancaster and Chester counties. Without CSA support, maintaining family-ownership of these farms is liable to become increasingly difficult with rising costs of farming and threats of agribusiness.
7. When we participate in any given CSA season, buying any CSA share is growing local and regional positivity and awareness for the environment and ecosystem.
8. With our CSA, organic is affordable.
9. Saying, "no," to big box shopping--at least for food stuffs which is enough to inspire changes in other purchasing as well.
10. LFFC CSA means learning more about vegetables that grow in our community--beyond sweet corn, potatoes, and tomatoes--and this is always exciting!
11. Participating in our CSA program produces contagions of forward-moving, open thinking and a more mindful existence.

Photo Credit: CSA Files