Shareholder Report

This summer I purchased a share from First Fruits Homestead, a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. Every other week for 14 weeks I received a box of locally grown fresh produce for an up front investment of $200.

CSA Week 13, photo credit First Fruits Homestead

I got to see where my food was grown, I became friends with my farmers (or farmHERS), and my family got to try new foods and new recipes. Overall, it was a great experience.

Here are the top 10 things I learned with my first CSA share:

1. Garlic Scapes are a thing. You will get a lot of them early in the season. Learn how to use them here.
2. Eat the salad greens first.
3. Elephant garlic is not garlic. But it's tasty in it's own way.
4. You will not be able to eat all the tomatoes, cucumbers, or zucchini you receive. Learn how to preserve or can these things for later. I made and froze tomato soup and bread and butter pickles.
5. Get the kids involved in finding recipes. We like these 3 plant-based diet cookbooks: Oh She Glows Everyday, Forks Over Knives Family, and The CSA Cookbook.

I highly recommend supporting your local farmers by purchasing a CSA share.  Use this site to find a CSA near you.

What's you favorite recipe to use with your summer produce?