Eating Fresh: Local Harvest

localharvest.org

Want to know what’s in season near you? Want to visit a farmer’s market or a local farm? Not sure where to go?

The Local Harvest website is your answer. This site makes it easy to find local farmer’s markets and farms in your area. Just enter your zip code, hit enter, and you’ll be on your way to discovering farm fresh produce.

I discovered this site last year and found three new farms and several farmer’s markets that I didn’t know existed. One of the farms offered a CSA (community supported agriculture) for vegetables and meat. Local Harvest can help you locate CSAs in your area.

CSAs are a way to support participating farms by providing money early in the season for seeds and supplies. In return, I will get a share of the harvest every week from June, until the end of the growing season. I joined in early spring and will pickup the first harvest this Friday. I am eagerly waiting to pickup the first harvest of the season.

By participating, I am buying local, in-season produce. The produce is “just picked,” in-season, and “vine ripened.” The farm I chose is organic and uses sustainable farming practices. So, I’m supporting a local, family-run farm. The food is free of pesticides and organic fertilizers. It is as fresh as if I’d grown it myself. And, it has not been shipped across the country or half-way around the world (like the New Zealand apples or Chilean cherries).

I am also participating in a meat CSA from the same farm. Every week I get 10 pounds of meat that is either: beef, pork, lamb or chicken. The beef is grass-fed. The animals are treated humanely and are raised without growth hormones.

The CSA has some risk, particularly the vegetable CSA. The customer accepts the risk of a “bad” year. I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Please give the website a try. Eat locally produced meat and vegetables. Enjoy the bounty of the season and support a local farm.