Joining a Produce Co-op

Even though I have a small garden, I decided to join a local produce co-op to take advantage of local, healthy and mostly organic seasonal offerings from area farmers. It has been a wonderful decision for my family.

Every Friday, I drop by a neighbor's garage to pick up my $13 basket of goodies. I always get more than my money's worth, and I often don't need to buy produce during my weekly grocery shopping trip.

Here's a sample from one of my weekly pickups:

Spinach, pineapple, broccoli, bananas, peaches, and apples.

I've also gotten blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, potatoes, sweet potatoes, two kinds of onions, leaf lettuce, and kale.

I had to wait a while to become a member of this co-op, as it only allows a set number of families to participate. There are options nationwide to allow your family to have fresh produce. Ask your friends to see which ones they know about. You also can search the web under terms such as "CSA, Community Supported Agriculture" and the name of your town.

It's fun to show up each week to see what surprises are in my basket. Then I get a chance to go to the kitchen and cook creatively for supper. I've used kale to make kale chips, peaches for peach cobbler, pineapple for pineapple upside-down cake, and bananas for protein-fruit breakfast smoothies.

Support local farmers and know where your food is being sourced. It's economical and healthy.

TCB

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