Access Sustainably Produced Food through Your Local CSA

We just joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group for the first time. We live in New York City and there is a bounty of organic products within 50 miles up the Hudson River Valley. We will get 24 weekly boxes of veggies and fruits (for pickup at the local community center each Monday after work). We’ll keep you posted, but here is some good information on what a CSA is.

Rosamaria Caballero
Green Irene

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. In brief…

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from “their” farm – even veggies they’ve never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

It’s a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S.. Non-profit LocalHarvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms, with over 2,500 listed in their database. In 2008, 557 CSAs signed up with LocalHarvest, and in the first two months of 2009, an additional 300 CSAs joined the site.

To find a CSA near you, visit Local Harvest’s CSA search at http://www.localharvest.org/search-csa.jsp.

What Does “Organic” Mean?

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I’m overwhelmed by the number of labels appearing on food products. Is my “natural, sustainably-grown” apple better or worse than an apple with the USDA Organic seal? 

It’s not always clear, but you should know that claims like “natural,” “sustainably-grown,” and “environmentally-friendly” have no agreed upon legal definition. Companies that use these types of terms without providing supporting information are likely trying to greenwash their conventional products. Products that are independently certified are generally more trustworthy. Certified labels for food products include Fair Trade Certified, Marine Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, Food Alliance, and more. But the most widely-used label is the USDA Organic label, pictured left. Despite the labels popularity, many people don’t know exactly what the label signifies. Here’s a summary:

• “Organic” means that the food was grown without the use of synthetic chemicals. Organic meat and dairy products come from cows that are hormone-free. Organic meat also comes from animals whose feed did not contain pesticides. 
• Products that display the seal are made with at least 95% organic ingredients by weight.
• The remaining 5% of ingredients can come from any substance on the USDA’s list of approved, non-organic substances. These include some food colorings, casings for sausages, and other ingredients.

The exact value of organic food remains a controversial subject. Some organic advocates argue that permitting non-organic substances in “organic” food undermines the value of the label. This movement often talks about the need to “go beyond organic.” Despite the flaws of organic agriculture, it is a reliable way to reduce the amount of pesticides on your food. A study by Consumer Reports found that more than 90% of conventionally-grown crops had noticeable pesticide residues, and many crops have multiple residues. Buying organic reduced pesticide exposure by around 75%. Other studies have found that children who eat an organic diet have considerably lower levels of pesticides in their bodies than children who eat a conventional diet. Buying organic also reduces the amount of pesticides in environment. Americans use about 1 billion pounds of synthetic pesticides a year. Pesticide exposure contributes to higher rates of cancer and other diseases in farm communities. Pesticide run-off can enter the watershed, harming aquatic life and impairing drinking water. For all these reasons, buying organic food whenever possible is a way of protecting the environment and your health.

- Green Irene

To find out more about this and other topics, contact your local eco-consultant.

Safest and Riskiest Fruits and Vegetables

For those of you who are concerned about food safety, yet cringe at the cost of organic produce, here is another piece of information for why buying local and organic is good for you. It’s research done by the Environmental Working Group on the chemical load carried by various fruits and vegetables.

Safest conventionally grown produce (lowest pesticide load)

Note: Onions were lowest with a score of 1, the melon the highest with a score of 30 on a scale of 1-100.

Least safe conventionally grown produce (highest pesticide load)

Note: Peaches were the worst with a score of 100; pears the lowest with a score of 63. For all of these fruits and vegetables, tests were conducted after they were washed and peeled.

Anita Doyle, Green Irene Eco-consultant
earthlygoods.minneapolis@greenirene.com

http://greenirene.com/EarthlyGoodsMinneapolis