Community-Supported Agriculture!

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a "green" or some could say a "Granola" concept.

According to Glacier Valley Farm (GVF) CSA (http://glaciervalleycsa.com/) a CSA is
"a community of people who pledge support to a farm operation so that the community feels a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the farm. The growers and consumers support each other and share the risks and benefits of food production. Subscribers to the CSA program pledge some amount in advance to cover some of the anticipated costs of the farm’s operation. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from connecting with the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By selling directly to community members rather than selling their produce wholesale, the growers receive better prices for their crops and gain financial security, because they have a guaranteed market for their vegetables."

I have been researching this for a while. Most CSA you have to buy a "share" for $500 for the summer and you get a bag/box of veggies every week. However I love the GVF concept where you can decide when you want to buy a box and that the program is mostly year round. It only Costs $35. Another cool thing about GVF is that they deliver to a ton of places around Anchorage. So you choose the drop off location and then each week or whenever you order you just go pick it up at a convenient location. Here is the list of food that will be in the boxes delivered on this week:

From Alaska’s Glacier Valley Farm, VanderWeele Farm: Alaskan potatoes (these will be a colorful combination of purple, red, and yellow!) Alaskan Brussels sprouts Alaskan onions Alaskan garlic

From Outside: certified organic Red Delicious apples certified organic Bartlett pears certified organic pomegranate certified organic Romaine lettuce certified organic radishes certified organic Fuyu persimmons

As you can see everything is also organic, which is a huge plus, especially here in Alaska. The grocery stores do not have a good selection of organic fruits and veggies if you ask me. GVF also supplies recipes on how to bake some of the more "foreign" vegetables

The next pick up date is on November 11th. I think we are going to try it. I will report back on how we like it.

To find one in your area look at this web page http://www.localharvest.org/

Edit: After writing the post I emailed GVF asking how much you get. Nancy with Customer Service has already emailed me back ( less than a 1/2 day) saying that the box averages between 18 to 20 pounds. So it costs 35 dollars for 20 pounds of organic fruits and veggies, that is less than $1.75 a pound!! CRAZINESS!!! I cannot wait until November 11th now!!!