Farm to Table

After a couple of springs spent hemming and hawing about whether to join a community supported agriculture program, where local farmers sell their produce directly to consumers when it’s ripe and ready, I finally decided to go for it.

Last week, I signed up a half-share – four farm-fresh items of my choice each week, early June through mid-November – from One Straw Farm in White Hall. I had hesitated in the past because I didn’t want any of the goods to go to waste: My two kids shun vegetables of any kind (with the exception being the carrots in a can of chicken soup), and I’ve always been concerned that a big quantity of fresh food would rot in our fridge.

But this year, I have a new strategy, and it’s hinged on the weekly pick-up at One Straw Farm. I’m hoping that the CSA will become my secret weapon in getting them to

My plan is to take out to the farm to pick up our weekly share on Thursday or Friday evenings during the summer after I pick them up from daycare. As I clicked my way through the online reservation form for the CSA, I had a daydream about the kids suddenly being willing to try new fruits and veggies if they got to see where the food comes from, right at the source.

I’m not actually daring to dream that they’ll suddenly turn over a new leaf and sample everything we bring home. In fact, I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do with vegetables I myself don’t usually pick up at the store, like beets, kale, collards or radishes. While I’m certainly willing to expand my horizons and try new things, as far as the kids are concerned, I’m hoping that they’ll be excited enough about a weekly trip to a farm for some mystery produce that they’ll think it’s cool to try what we select together. Long term, I would like them to start to understand , instead of my suspicion that they think the food we eat is born in the grocery store.