Look at all that gorgeous green! Saturday, we picked up our first bundle of goods from a friendly farmer couple, Bruce and Abbie of Birdsong Farm in Hampton, CT (for you locals, email or call them if you would like more information!). I've written before about the lack of CSA's in my area (though this year there seems to finally be a small explosion of them according to Local Harvest - yay!). In the past, it wasn't much of a concern for us considering I set up shop so often at the Coventry Farmers Market. We also have an amazing neighborhood natural foods co-op that is always filled to the brim with local fruits, veggies and cheese.
This year I will not be vending at the market (I've been meaning to tell you, many have been asking), and while we will of course still visit as much as we can, it is more of an outing (albeit a wonderful one) and I think on a regular, weekly basis, a quick one stop in and out approach might be more realistic. So I sent an email to my former market 'neighbor' asking what they were up to this year. I remember him telling me last year that they had their own version of a CSA, not even calling it a true CSA actually, but a type of service that worked (and still works!) for them.
Here's how it goes: on Tuesday of each week Bruce and Abbie send an email to everyone who would like to be on their mailing list, they include a list of what's being harvested that week on the farm with prices/sizes/weights of each item. Customers email them back by midnight on Thursday with their order, listing what they would like and how much of each. Beautiful! Pick-up is on Saturday at the farm, and all of the veggies are harvested just a few hours before you arrive. I cannot tell you how awesome this is. Their prices are incredible and nothing beats the chance we will now have each Saturday morning to head out of our little city... just fifteen minutes away, to visit our farmers, and to thank them in person.
We are so happy to finally be part of the CSA club... sort of.
