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Love Affair with a CSA…

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by Eliza Ceci

Reasons to Love CSA

Did you know New Jersey is called ‘The Garden State’?

People who are only familiar with the stereotypes of big hair, tanning and Sopranos lifestyles can’t believe it when they travel through our beautiful state and see miles and miles of beautiful and lush farmland. Some of my best memories as a kid were picking berries or peaches with the juice dribbling down my chin or the familiar yummy taste of sweet corn at summer dinnertime.

Seeing the lazy sheep in the fields always got me dreaming of having my own one day – that particular memory makes my husband very nervous, mostly I think in anxiety that I will ask him to move with me to a farm in the middle of nowhere! (He is not the type to live outside the comfortable pleasures of his favorite Italian deli two blocks away).

There is nothing like fresh-from-the-garden produce. Joining my local CSA has taught me to come back down to Earth (Mother Earth that is).

What is a CSA?

For those who may have heard the term “CSA” but don’t know exactly what I am talking about, here you go. Community Supported Agriculture is a way for us (the consumers) to create a relationship with a farm.

In the spring, the farmer sells shares in their farm’s upcoming harvest to potential “members” of the CSA. The share price goes toward the cost of growing and distributing a season’s worth of produce and paying the farmer a living wage.

The CSA I am a part of is a team effort where community members work together to bring quality local and organic produce at a great price. It runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. You pick your share up every other week. There are also great bonuses other than the fresh fruit and vegetable shares; you can order free range eggs, raw milk cheeses, breads, natural soaps and so on.

The CSA builds community, love and respect and a sort of cheering on for the crops, the chickens who are hard at work laying healthy eggs, and the farmer himself who works night and day devoted to harvesting healthy, organic food that is nurturing us for healthy lives! In essence to me the farmer is contributing a huge gift: the gift of health, happiness, well-being and an opportunity to become aware of our food choices.

What a CSA Share Looks Like

The shares are about a “bushel box” size of local seasonal produce. We receive what is growing and is picked that week from the farm, at the peak of nutrition. Usually the produce is picked the morning of delivery or the night before. If you think about the produce you are buying at the grocery store, usually it is picked before the fruit/vegetable is ripe, and then sprayed with a chemical that ‘ripens’ the produce later. Then it is shipped most of the time from other countries like Mexico or Guatemala. If you think about the amount of people and effort it takes to get you a banana from farm to supermarket that is a lot of work and miles!

I feel good knowing exactly where my food is coming from and how it is grown. How fun would it be to visit a farm open house, such as the one Havenwood Farm’s “Farmer Ken” tries to hold each year.

CSA Participation: You Save Money AND Become More Healthy…

CSA - go local!Fresher food means more nutrients. If you are eating plentiful amounts of fresh-from-the-farm fruits and vegetables your body is going to go into bliss mode and also begin returning back to balance. Your blood sugar is going to naturally balance itself out, your cravings from sugar and salty foods are going to decrease and you will more than likely begin eating only when hungry instead of as an emotional trigger, your jeans will become looser, your skin tighter and people will be wondering what you’ve been doing because they want it!

But people tend to think it is too expensive to buy organic and local foods. That, my friend is where you are mistaken! The CSA is more money up front than you would typically spend for one trip to the grocery store but that one check is going to last you 6 months! You receive enough food each delivery to feed a vegetarian family which is awesome!

Even if you are not a vegetarian or vegan your trips to the health food store, Whole Foods or other food store are quicker and much less money because you have less to pick up. This means you will have more time for fun things like shopping, yoga, hiking, biking, swimming, taking the dog for a walk, whatever your heart desires.

Seasonal Eating Makes Sense

What I never realized growing up around mostly natural, whole foods was that I was healthy. For the most part I was a healthy and happy kid and so were my sisters. However, when I went away to college and had to make my own meals for the first time in my life I was introduced to chemicalized, artificial foods and that is where I began getting sick almost immediately.

There is a reason eating more naturally and cyclically is beneficial to us humans (in other words when the seasons change so should our foods). Realizing this and making the necessary dietary changes to maintain a sense of balance in my physical, mental and spiritual body is much easier with the help of fresh produce.

What we eat is definitely not the only cause of our weight gain, overeating and emotional distress but it is the start to a beautiful unfolding of progress and change.

When we go to the normal grocery store it is impossible to know what is in season. There are tropical fruits along with multiple types of apples, potatoes, lettuces – you name it – all year long that we would never even know existed if we relied only on local farmers for produce. I like knowing I am eating with the seasons and I know this is balancing my body and helping me to continue to thrive and heal on many levels. I’m so excited to see what will be hiding in my next delivery!

If this article has inspired you please pass it on to your friends and family. Let’s spread vegetable love throughout our World!

Love and Hugs,

Eliza Ceci

Eliza Ceci is a holistic nutrition and wellness coach, motivational speaker and blogger. She is the owner of Peace on My Plate and enjoys providing support to her clients around detox, emotional eating and PMS and pre-pregnancy preparation.  Eliza’s passion is empowering women to understand their worth, creating passionate lives and taking control of their health one green juice at a time. http://peaceonmyplate.com

Lower East Side Girls Club - Farmer's Market

P.S.  You can help us support CSA projects by participating in BiG.  All the proceeds from our International Green Smoothie Day Challenge will go towards funding the Lower East Side Girls Club and their nutrition programs.  CSA programming is a fundamental part of what the girls learn and do about being healthy and taking responsibility for their food.  It’s a great cause, and now you know why! http://www.believeingreen.com