An Eastern Shore produce company, Emily's, begins offering CSAs, and the What's Up? crew gets in on the action from Sunrise Harvest.
rIn case you're not familiar with what Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is, check back to this article I wrote for the August 2010 magazine.
rrFirst on the agenda: This will be my first year participating in a CSA, and I couldn't be more excited. In the past, it's seemed like some CSAs have been out of my price range -- even though I know the money is dedicated to something that's important for the community as a whole, I just couldn't afford to shell out anywhere from $500 to more than $1,000 in one sitting.
rWhen discussing this with another editor, we began searching for a local farm that offered a CSA in our price point. She found Sunrise Harvest Farm, located in Preston, Maryland, a small town right by Easton. Not only did they offer half-shares (perfect for our two-person families), they allowed you to pay in installments. Even better: They deliver to your home for free. Now, to make it easier on them, we asked them to deliver to our office in Annapolis. This made perfect sense because once we shared the great deal with the rest of the What's Up? office, two more coworkers signed up for it.
rBeginning in June, we each get 20 weeks of 5-8 pounds of locally grown vegetables. I can't wait to begin experimenting with all the new produce, so check back every week for farm-fresh recipes.
rSecond on the agenda: We always love when new CSAs come on the market. Emily's Produce, located in Cambridge, now offers its own CSA. Because plenty of these groups fill up quickly and might already be sold at, here's your chance to get in on the action. The potential products you'll receive from this CSA are incredibly diverse -- everything from fresh produce to local jams to fresh butter. Their shares begin at $300 for a half-share (13 weeks) and $600 for a full-share (26 weeks) ... another amazing deal.
rIf you're interested in supporting local agriculture and getting fresh, local food weekly, then it's definitely time for you to look into a CSA share.
