Farm Fresh Even In Winter

Winter can leave those of us who seek farm fresh produce craving the bountiful days of summer. Once the Farmer's Markets pack up for the season, most of us are left with the dull, flavorless, and expensive produce at the grocery stores. Not very appetizing is it?

But did you know that produce grows year round here in Texas (and in many other areas as well). But several gardeners head inside for winter and leave their gardens behind where greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, lettuce, beets, and onions could be growing. I too am quilting of abandoning my garden at summers end. It seems by then the plants and myself are burned out by the summer heat.

This is a great place for your local CSA to step in. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. By joining you are buying a share of a local farm and in return you receive a weekly portion of produce. And when I say, "produce" don't picture the stuff you see at your local grocery store in your head. Instead think of crisp spinach leaves harvested just an hour before you arrive, fresh tender baby carrots free of pesticides, and a few vegetables that you have never even seen before!

Check out localharvest.org to find a CSA near you. Several groups will give you a deal on the price if you volunteer a few hours of farm work (a great project for kids). And the owners are usually generous with recipe ideas for those new veggies you will be taking home. They will also offer tips for storing and freezing excess so nothing goes to waste.

For those of you who are local, I use Bill's Organic Gardens and they are wonderful people! Every week we receive a very generous portion of organic vegetables some of which have been new to me and I am a dietitian! This forces me to get out of my rut and eat a variety of vegetables and discover new favorties. Those of us in this group often exchange the new recipes we've discovered to help each other out. It's one of the cheapest and healthiest adventures I have ever been on!

I put off joining a CSA for a long time because I have grown my own garden since I was in college (think pots on an apartment balcony). But I know now that I have been missing out!

Bill (from Bill's Organic Gardens) has just expanded his land and crop so it's a good time to join. There is a link above to his website where you can get more information and contact him. You can always contact me for questions too. If you do join, be sure to tell him that I sent you!

For the sake of full disclosure I must tell you that I do have a financial relationship with Bill's Organic Gardens. But that financial relationship did not happen until after I became a customer and saw the quality and value. Now I am anxious to get the word out and Bill has asked for my help.