Landwirtschaftsgemeinschaftshof

Today I picked up the first supply of produce from a local farm that a couple friends and I are supporting through a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  That word in the title is the German equivalent;  I can't quite put my finger on a good translation, but it means something like agricultural-community-farm.  CSA originally developed in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan in the 1960s.  The idea is that a group of consumers get together and provide financial support for a local farm at the beginning of the growing season, and in return are provided with seasonal produce for a set number of weeks.  CSA is good for the farmer because it spreads out the inherent risk in farming between all of the "subscribers" and also drastically reduces marketing and distribution costs.  We subscribers agree to take whatever the farm grows--unfortunately, that means I might have to learn to like radishes.  But ultimately we get high quality, seasonal, organic produce (even if it's not officially certified, it usually measures up to the requirements) from a member of our own community that we see on a weekly basis.  And did I say that it's fresh?  And delicious?  Everything I got today was picked only a few hours earlier on a farm only a few miles away--lettuce, spinach, radishes (she suggested sauteing the greens in olive oil and garlic; I might try this, too), chives, parsley, oregano, cucumbers, scallions, and snow peas.

It's only the beginning of the season, so check out www.localharvest.org to find your own local CSA.  I'm a firm believer!