Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tasty produce
We are absolutely amazed. Each week our local farm delivery includes organic fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs and garlic, and even handmade cheeses and preserves. Akin to hours-old seafood, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is fresh, wild and delicious.
We have no idea what will arrive from our farm each week. Beans, melons, squash and eggplants are included. Local basil leaves can be the size of your hand, and heirloom tomatoes can bring a tear to your eye.
This seasonally diverse produce is half the fun of subscribing to a local farm or CSA drop spot. Sometimes we go online to figure out exactly what things are, and how best to prepare them. Most farms include information sheets, a few recipes, and a humorous story — which is proactively educating families, and especially children.
Some people ask if we are able to prepare and consume all of our produce before it expires each week. It can be a challenge. We eat smaller portions of meat and less bread than before, and do recommend a juice machine. Instead of processed sweets, we enjoy softball-size peaches or a bizarre species of local pear for dessert. Hosting a CSA lunch or dinner with family and friends is always a good idea.
Every South Carolina household should consider the $20 to $40 required each week to have a moving box full of locally farmed produce and preserves delivered to your front door or CSA drop spot. Weekly farm patronage is not only biologically healthy to everyone, it is economically beneficial to the entire community — and $1 billion cheaper than fast food.
God bless our local farmers and fishermen for their work. The fruits of their labor are ending up on more Lowcountry minds and tables each week, thanks to their innovations in preparation, communication and delivery.
Baron C. Hanson
King Street
Charleston
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