CSA’s, Hilltop Farms
Yet another trend in the burgeoning local food movement is the CSA, or “community supported agriculture”. CSAs are farms that have paying members, or subscribers, who join for the privilege of enjoying the freshest food possible. The way it works is this: You pay upfront (typically in the winter) for a season’s membership, and the farm provides produce with regular disbursements, usually weekly. Most CSAs operate via a drop-box structure, whereby you pick up or receive (by delivery) a fixed allotment of produce each week. You receive whatever is available. In addition to fruits and vegetables, many CSAs also grow flowers and herbs. Some farms allow the option of reducing the membership fee in exchange for some labor on the farm. Either way, you get the freshest, most delicious produce – and you know exactly where it comes from and how it is grown. Furthermore, it’s a great way to support the local economy and to help foster a healthy community.
For the past two years, my family has been a member of a local CSA called HillTop Farms. Located in Willow Springs (near Fuquay-Varina), HillTop is the only certified organic CSA in Wake County. Fred Miller is the proprietor and farmer who runs the operation, which operates a little differently than many CSAs. Fred’s season runs from mid-April to early November, and each week he operates a little farmer’s market at dropsites in Raleigh and Cary. This means that every week, you get to choose what produce you want and how much, and the amount is deducted from your initial pre-paid total. Fred grows a huge variety of produce, from eggplant to radishes to potatoes to melons (among many other items), but for me the highlights of the season usually include the strawberries, the greens (lettuces, kale, spinach, and my favorite, gorgeous rainbow chard), and the tomatoes. There’s nothing quite like the season’s first, glorious strawberries or an abundance of summer’s juiciest tomatoes. But whatever you select, you get a great start on a healthy, tasty diet each week.
For more information on Fred’s farm or to join, visit http://www.hilltopfarms.org
To find a local CSA, visit http://www.localharvest.org
{images via flickr}
Thanks for this post! I keep hearing about things like this and needed to check it out!