Fresh From The Farm

Were you intrigued by Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle? Wondering how to become more of locavore without actually growing your own food or trekking to the Farmer’s Market every Tuesday? Consider joining a community supported agriculture program (CSA). Here’s how it works: purchase a share of the farm and you get a weekly box of the farm’s bounty either delivered to your house or to a pick up location.

Our family joined Great Country Farms’ CSA last year. Our membership included a weekly box delivered to our doorstep, a newsletter with recipe ideas for the week’s vegetables and fruits, free entry into the farm and festivals in Bluemont, and additional pick your own options at the farm.

I really enjoyed experimenting with new recipes utilizing the week's goods (collard pesto, anyone?) and my husband finally got his fill of heirloom tomatoes. There was enough to do at the farm itself to warrant taking the two-hour drive several times. Among other things, there are loads of farm animals and a petting zoo, fun mazes, a giant permanent moon bounce, and a stocked pond for fishing. The kids had a great time picking blackberries, tomatoes, herbs, flowers and pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.

Virginia Green Grocer/Virginia Organic Cooperative and Great Country Farms deliver to homes in the South Alexandria area. Graceland Farms delivers to River Farm. Farmstead of Charlotte Hall delivers to Old Town. Shares sell out fast so now is the time to sign up.

For more information on CSA programs throughout the region, check out The Post’s article, Where To Sign Up for a CSA.