Re Rustica

We got a question from CBS (Washington, DC) on how CSA’s feed the poor.

CBS Writes:
My name is Valerie [last name omitted for privacy] with CBS Evening News in Washington DC and I’m working on a story about how despite the terrible economy people are still investing in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) - many of them locally are sold out. CSA’s are not the cheapest way of getting local produce - no one does this to save money. They do it to participate in the local food movement. But it’s something of a luxury, so my question is, why do people keep participating when they’re giving up so much else? If you could reply and give me your thoughts on this issue that would be great.

Thank you for your time,

Valerie
CBS Weekend Evening News Intern

We Reply:
Dear Valerie,
we’re sorry if this seems rude, but your question is a fair one and demands honesty. The reason why the situation is so puzzling is because you and CBS are approaching the story with the false premise of bias.

we submit to your consideration that
1): CSA’s are some of the most affordable ways to get food.
2): Fresh food is not a luxury.

Let’s do the numbers with two of our boxes.

Our cheapest box (per meal) is our 37 gallon (about 4 bushel) box. It is designed to feed a family of 5-1/3 moderately active people (based on USDA nutritional guidelines). Yes, it is bizzare, but keep in mind that some children and elders eat anywhere from 1/3 to 3/4 as much as adults and in a family that size, there will be an assortment of children and elders. It costs $1227.40 per month, $43.84 per day, $21.92 per meal (if two meals are prepared at home), and $4.11 per person per meal. And that’s a complete, nutritionally balanced meal! Quite affordable, considering the cost of fast food or grocery stores.

Our cheapest box (per box) is our 2 gallon (about 6/16 bushel) box. It is designed to feed a sedentary individual who cooks only one meal per day (based on USDA guidelines). It costs $96.67 per month, that is $3.45 per meal (with one meal per day). A balanced, complete, square meal. $3.45.

Now, we have some customers who complain our prices are too high. They shop at Costco, at Walmart or Sam’s Club, or get the old food off the discount shelf at the supermarket. We don’t deny that there are cheaper sources of food. The cheapest way of getting food is becoming the farmer yourself and growing it! But, through a combination of fresh and quality product, ease of acquisition (we’ll deliver it fresh to your doorstep while you’re at work or at play using negative-carbon gain fuels!), and ease of preparation (we can help you prepare your quality meals in less than 5 minutes!), we think our CSA offers a combination that is ideally suited for not only hard economic times, but for the best of times as well.

We don’t deny, either, that some CSA’s are overpriced. Some restaurants are overpriced, too. In any market - whether it is food or clothing or anything at all - there will be overpriced and underpriced options. Our customers appreciate that they get much more than what they pay for.

But is fresh food a luxury?

There’s three ways to look at this.

First, let’s look at it from a monetary standpoint. Disregarding that fresh food can be as cheap - pound for pound - as rotten, spoiled or damaged food, fresh food is used to more efficiency in the home than unfresh food. Simply said, more of it is eaten, more of it is digested and it is enjoyed better. Unfresh food is a source of disease, which is costly to any family in economic crisis. Families in crisis need their strength, they need to eat every last morsel of food. Nothing should be thrown out or wasted because it is damaged, spoiled or rotten. Though parents can prepare all the food - without carving away spoiled parts - and can require children eat all their food, there is simply no reason to do this when it costs the same to provide fresh food.

Second, examine it from societal perspectives. Children need to learn to love their food. They need to learn to eat well, to become strong, smart, beautiful citizens. They need to look forward to meals at home - with or without their parents. Fresh food does just that. Food is love, and we should all love our food.

Third, consider nutrition. Old, tasteless, dry beans make all of life seem old and tasteless. Rotten cabbages make life stink. Lettuce that is blooming with bacteria tints life with a lurid glow. Stale eggs in your pancakes are a killjoy. Oats should be flavorful and fresh! Tomatoes should be ripe all the way through. The nutritional quality of old food is inferior to fresh food. Water and fat soluable vitamins and minerals, essential proteins and other nutrients degrade in storage. Eating disease makes you sick. You would not choose unfresh food to fresh food if they costed the same or nearly so.

Please, if you have any doubts, let us send you a box of our food UPS. It can arrive tomorrow. If you have not tasted a farm fresh meal, it will be an honor and a pleasure to show you once again how you can love your food.

your farmers,
Aaron Brachfeld and Mary Choate
Re Rustica
559-977-7539