This morning I slipped into the traffic flowing south on the 5 freeway and visited a local organic farm in San Juan Capistrano. South Coast Farms has a great stand, selling their own produce alongside fresh fruits and vegetables brought in from 5 other farms with which they're affiliated. They had almost everything I'd normally buy in my grocery store, but all organic. As I checked out, the cashier pointed out that one of my mangoes had a bad spot. "I won't charge you for that one," she said.
I went over to the farm office, a small red building with its entrance curtained by the fronds of a huge palm tree. The women there were as friendly and helpful as the cashier had been. I signed up for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. A CSA allows consumers to prepay for their produce for a certain period of time. For the next three months, I'll get a 25lb box of produce every week, for $30 per week. It's mostly local and in season and all organic.
Many communities have CSA programs; some even deliver the produce to you. I didn't know the programs existed, or that there was one so close to me. Check out this CSA Directory to see what you can find in your own town, and support the organic farmers and get the freshest foods.
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