The LocalHarvest Blog

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

The quality of food served in our nation's schools has been the focus of much attention recently, and if you have so much as walked through a school cafeteria in the last decade, you know why. Our kids deserve better. We at LocalHarvest have great admiration for those who are working to reform the complicated system that is our national school lunch program. A significant opportunity will come when the House takes up the Child Nutrition Act after their summer recess. The current school nutrition bill expires on September 30th, so stand by for an action-packed couple of weeks in late September. If you want updates, you can sign up with our friends at Slow Food USA who have been working hard on this.

There ends the overtly political part of this article. The remainder is devoted to another, perhaps even more difficult aspect of our children's nutrition: the food we feed them at home.

When I was a little kid, maybe five or six, my mother got religion about nutrition. One day the cupboard held Honeycomb cereal and Wonder Bread, and the next day we were eating Grapenuts and dense Russian black bread. As you might imagine, plenty of whining ensued. We still ate dessert and very occasional processed snacks, but by and large, the junk was gone and the garden was in. Nutrition was taken seriously. Mom took a lot of flak from all of us, but her response always was, "I feed you this way because I love you and I want what's best for you."

Kind of hard to argue with that.

Yet so often we parents take the easier route. We feed our kids a steady diet of mac and cheese and hot dogs, bananas and sugar and call it "kid food", as if the young of our species require soft, sweet, pasty food for survival. By and large, the culinary expectations of children in our society are ridiculously low. That could be chalked up to a cultural oddity if the consequences weren't so high. Research on the impact of daily nutrition on a child's ability to learn in school is unequivocal: kids must have real food to learn. And in this age of soaring obesity rates, the fact that eating habits picked up in childhood carry over to adulthood is a grave concern.

It's hard. We all know that in a media environment of merciless child-focused junk food marketing, parents' job is made even harder. For those of us who want to choose really high quality foods, the definitions and choices can be dizzying. I have a lot of compassion for families who are too busy, worn out, overscheduled, and unsupported to cook good food and model disciplined eating habits. But it's worth the effort. Kids aren't born knowing why adequate protein, vegetables, and whole grains are important. They need to be taught, and until they can make good choices for themselves, good choices must be made for them. I think Mom was right: it's what love requires.

Last year, my daughter's daycare was considering making some changes to its food plan. They invited input from parents, and I ended up writing a document with some suggestions for serving more nutrient-dense foods, getting kids to eat them, setting priorities, and budgeting for higher quality foods. It's by no means comprehensive or authoritative, but I offer a version of this document below in the hope that it may spark some conversation about how we as a nation, and as individuals, feed ourselves and our children. We love to hear from you.

As always, take good care and eat well,
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

"You're doing what?" my sister asked, not even trying to keep the horror out of her voice as I told her our weekend plans.

"We're going to learn how to butcher chickens," I said.

"Auggh. WHY?"

That is the question, and one I'm still answering a week after the experience. Because a farm near us was offering a class. Because it seems like a skill worth having. Because we eat meat.

This month I write about my afternoon at the chicken processing class, why farms are beginning to offer this kind of event, and why people like me are signing up. Also in this issue, we unveil the CSA management software Guillermo has spent approximately 7,492 hours perfecting. And finally, in honor of the long awaited blueberry season, we submit "Ellen's Blueberry Concoction" for your consideration.

As always, take good care and eat well,
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

A couple of months ago, I spent an hour with Andy Grant, the farmer from one of the biggest community supported agriculture programs in the country. Last year, Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado had over 3,000 CSA members. I have to admit that I went into our conversation thinking that there was no way a CSA could operate on that scale and be true to the core values of community supported agriculture. I have to say, I was happily surprised. In this month's main article, we take a look at what big CSAs can and can't offer, and how they can keep the 'community' aspect of CSA strong.

Also in this issue we include an appeal for all readers to please pick up the phone and call your Senators on behalf of the much anticipated food safety bill. It is heading for a vote quite soon and needs broad public support to ensure that the final version treats small scale farmers fairly. Take five minutes to support your local farmers through wise public policy!

Enjoy the Spring and as always, take good care and eat well,
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

As we move toward Spring, CSA sign-up season continues and so too our series of articles about community supported agriculture. This month, we focus on the human bonds that sometimes take root in a CSA. After talking with several farmers about the friendship, cooperation and community growing on their farms, we feel like the farm's most valuable "product" may be the relationships it fosters, with exceptional produce being a happy byproduct. This is a poetic viewpoint, I know, and not one that accurately describes all CSAs. Still, read about what is going on at Terra Bella Family Farm and A Place on Earth CSA, and see if you don't agree that these CSAs offer an unparalleled opportunity for people to find a piece of the "something more" that so many of us seek.

Happy Spring, and long, light days to all.
Take good care and eat well –
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

This is the time. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the country are signing up for a CSA. Visions of tender new potatoes, taut, warm melons, and tomatoes, always tomatoes dance in their heads. Many – most – will end the season deliciously satisfied. Some, though, will not be pleased with their CSA experience. This month's newsletter is devoted to maximizing your chances of finding yourself among the sated and contented.

Know Thyself
Utterly fantastic idea though it is, community supported agriculture is not for everyone. Deciding whether or not CSA is for you requires a healthy dose of self knowledge. Some of us confuse how we are with how we would like to be. Not that there's no room for movement, but if you truly do not like vegetables, signing up to receive five to 20 pounds of them a week is probably not going to go well. When considering whether or not to join a CSA, there are a few questions that you might ask yourself. Be sure to answer for yourself and the people you live with since asking other people to change their eating habits is no small thing. (Read more...)

As always, take good care and eat well.
Erin

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

In most parts of the country, winter is CSA sign up season. With this month's issue of the newsletter, we're starting a four-part series on all things CSA, which will include articles on how to choose a CSA (February), what happens when CSAs go big (March) and how one farm's members are creating an alternate economy within the CSA community (April).

Earlier this month we participated in a workshop about the future of CSA at the EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove, CA. Putting together our presentation gave us the opportunity to dig deep into our CSA database and pull out some numbers we found quite interesting. Like: the average sized CSA in the U.S. has 96 members, but the median is 47. If it's been a while since statistics class, that means that half of all CSAs have more than 47 members, and half have fewer. There are a lot of small CSAs out there! What we notice from talking with a lot of CSA farmers is that many people start small with their CSA and then increase the number of shares they offer — sometimes quite rapidly — once their systems are in place and tested. From our vantage point, both the slow and careful start and the eventual growth are important elements of the economic viability of the model.

For those who like numbers, here are a few more. Of the 3,229 CSAs listed with LocalHarvest, we have 'size' data for 2766. Of those, 2,202 have 100 or fewer shareholders, another 504 offer 101 - 500 shares, and finally, 60 farms have more than 500 CSA members. Extrapolating from those numbers, we see that CSAs of 100 shareholders or less serve 25% of all CSA members in the country. Those in the 101 - 500 braket serve 52% of CSA members, and large CSAs of 500 or more supply 23% of all subscribers.

To put this in context, the total number of shares offered by our CSAs is about 390,000. That number represents one-half of one percent (0.5%) of all households in the U.S. That might not sound like a lot, but when we mapped out the growth curve, it was impressive! If the number of CSAs keeps growing at the same rate as CSAs have been joining our site over the last three years, by 2020, there will be over 18,000 CSAs in the U.S.

For even more fun, Guillermo animated the growth of CSAs in a little movie, which you can see here. Each green triangle represents one CSA farm, and the dates shown are drawn from data reported by the farmers themselves. It's a neat little visual, and takes just 12 seconds of your life.

Many of you are among the country's 390,000+ CSA members. If you've had a good experience, maybe you'll consider talking to a few friends about joining a CSA in your area. And if you have never given CSA a try, would like to be part of a local farm, and enjoy eating veggies, like to cook, you may be a perfect candidate for CSA membership! You can find one near you with our search engine.

To the start of a wonderful CSA season!

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

A few years ago, my husband taught at a school for teenagers who didn't fit in any of the other schools in town. One day he asked his students how many of them regularly ate a meal with their parents. Of the ten kids who'd made it to class that day, only one raised his hand. The rest said they just fended for themselves, grazing in the cupboards when they got hungry enough to take a break from their video games. They shrugged when they said it, like it didn't matter. Most of these kids' parents were working long hours at several jobs just to get food in the house in the first place. Still, among the many hard things these kids faced, between ourselves we counted the absence of family meals high on the list.

Nowadays many families eat together only sporadically, due to parents' work schedules — driven by necessity or the habit of overwork — or to children's extracurricular activities. Yet this time is irreplaceable. It is, to my mind, what makes a house a home, and part of what makes a group of people a family. These are the people I come home to at the end of the day, and cook for and sit with; this is the hour we bless with our presence to one another.

There is much attention being given these days to the need to improve the quality of food served in our nation's public schools, and rightly so. To serve our children the best food, grown with care by farmers who are also part of the community in which the children reside is a sensible and widely beneficial thing.

But let us also remember the value of the meals we share at home.

Last night I spent an hour making supper, as I do almost every evening, and at some point between chopping the garlic and browning the onions, these thoughts came loudly to my mind, "I love to cook. I love to make food for my family." Yes, I thought, as I listened to my husband and daughter playing in the next room, this is a sweet part of the day. And then we sat down together, lit some candles, said our grace — "Thank You for this food, and that we are together" — and ate.

Cooking and eating together need not be elaborate, but it is best, it seems to me, when it is consistent. Like most such commitments — planting the seed planted in early spring, bringing the baby home from the hospital — the fruit may be months or years in the ripening.

At all times, but especially in this season of holiday bustle and stress, may we all slow down long enough to invite one another to the table, and when we get there, to look around and welcome with gratitude those who have gathered.

As always, take good care and eat well,

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.

This time of year, people from the North often ask us how they can keep buying local food through the winter. In the produce realm, I usually recommend becoming familiar with winter storage crops – apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, and other root crops – and looking for signs in your grocery store to see if any come from local farms. Depending on where you live, hardy greens may also be available through the winter. It's helpful, too, to think beyond produce, and see if there are local options for eggs, dairy products, honey, meat, beans and grains.

Going to the pantry to get a pint of your own pickles in January might not be quite as satisfying as going out to the garden with a salad bowl in August and coming back with supper, but it's close. The desire to eat high quality local food through the winter is prompting more and more of us to preserve some of the bounty from the hot summer months. Whether the produce will come from your garden, a CSA or the farmers market, this winter you can lay plans to stock your freezer with roasted tomatoes, blanched greens, tomato sauce and frozen berries. If you ask for a canner for Christmas, you will be able to make applesauce and jam, and enjoy your own salsa all year long.

Putting even a little attention on eating 'winter food' over the coming months deepens our connection to the flow of the seasons, and to the earth itself. Deep greens, brilliant oranges – nature offers us bold colors in its darkest season. Rather than focusing on all the foods we “can't” have when we choose to eat seasonally and locally, we may notice a growing sense of appreciation for the abundance and variety of nourishment the land offers to us in each season. For this food, we give thanks.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we are also thankful for the ongoing support so many people are giving to family farmers, even in this time of economic hardship. Your commitment to creating a sustainable food system is one of the blessings for which we at LocalHarvest are grateful this season.

May your tables be laden and your hearts and bellies full,

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

This is a story about trying to do something good, getting stuck, getting angry, leaning over the edge of gloominess, and then, finally, getting over myself. It is a story about the importance of saying yes.

First, a confession: sometimes I think if I hear one more person name 'recycling' as a substantive act of environmental protection, I will lose it. At the same time, I am as much of a ninny about radical change as the next guy. I am absolutely ready to move beyond "Ten Easy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth", but not quite ready to suspend all air travel, live in a tent, or eat squirrel.

What I thought I'd do was plant a few fruit trees. There's a large, empty lot near my house. It was destined to hold condos before the landowner's Ponzi scheme caught up with him. Thinking it might be a number of years before this land gets developed, some local food activists and I thought we'd plant half a dozen apple trees on the perimeter, where they might fit in with the eventual plans for the property. We called it a community orchard. We envisioned people walking by and picking a couple of apples to snack on during their walk: local health food, to go.

All was going well. The bank that owns the property initially agreed to the idea, provided the neighbors in the adjacent condo units were amenable. Meetings were held. Plans were made. People got excited. And then we hit a snag. The banker decided he needed a series of indemnification documents. Price tag: $600.

We can skip over the part of this story where I paced around my office waving my arms and yelling. There was no entity behind the orchard, mind you, just a group of like-minded people trying to implement what we thought was a good idea. The money for the project was being pooled from members of the group, our friends and neighbors. I could not bear to nearly double the project's budget just to ensure that the bank wouldn't get sued if an apple dropped on someone's head. I wanted to drop the whole thing. For a few days, things got bleak in my own head. This thought kept coming back to me: if we can't get a few trees planted on an empty lot, how are we ever going to take on the really big stuff?

Finally I was ready to stop wailing and gnashing my teeth and consider Plan B, offered by an inspired activist who proposed that we locate the orchard on public land, via a new community garden approval process she has been crafting with the City.

Between you and me, I had not wanted to work with a bureaucracy to get these trees planted. It felt too complicated. Trouble is, I still believe that a community orchard is a good idea. So, if making it happen involves getting over feeling lazy and too busy, inexperienced and shy, so be it. I'm trying to make an internal shift from, "That's too hard," to simply, "Okay, yes." Yes to overcoming inertia. Yes to complexity. Yes to not knowing what I'm doing. Yes to getting bigger inside.

As you have probably heard, this coming Saturday, October 24, people from nearly 170 countries are putting together over 4,000 events for the International Day of Climate Action. It is activism on an extraordinary scale, designed to send an unequivocal message to the United Nations Climate Change meeting in December. If you haven't yet visited the 350.org website, do. You will find events happening near you and see photos and descriptions of events already happening worldwide. Some are wildly creative, and many are surprisingly moving.

In my town, activists will be collecting pledge cards on Saturday, asking people to commit to whatever climate actions they choose. Essentially they are asking, "What is the biggest thing you can say yes to?" The International Day of Climate Action has the potential to move our national conversation beyond "Ten Easy Things...", but only if we are ready to acknowledge that significant change is often not at all easy. Shoot, just getting a few fruit trees planted may turn out to be a lot of pushing uphill. Even so, it's worth doing. So... what are the biggest things we can say yes to?

As always, take good care and eat well,

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest

Winner of the $5,000 first prize was none other than Flint Farmers' Market in Flint, MI, with a strong showing of support at 6,083 votes. Congratulations to all top five vote getters, and to to the markets who won the weekly drawing prizes of $250!

• First Place: Flint Farmers’ Market, Flint, MI
• Second Place: Fernandina Farmers Market, Fernandina Beach, FL
• Third Place: Carrboro Farmers’ Market, Carrboro, NC
• Fourth Place: Midtown Farmers’ Market, Minneapolis, MN
• Fifth Place: Market Square Farmers’ Market, Knoxville, TN

The interesting thing about how this contest turned out is that the top three markets are each so different. Our contest winners page includes a description of each market, its strategies for winning this contest, and the community it serves. Read more about them!

All told, 98,147 people cast a vote in this contest, and with their vote nearly 65,000 people posted a short review of their favorite market on LocalHarvest. We would like to express our gratitude to Care2.com for partnering with us on this contest, and for putting together such a fantastic package of prizes.

Speaking of contests, this is the last month of our "Find the Missing CSAs" contest. We are soliciting readers' support in finding CSAs that are not yet listed in our database. The person who submits the most new (to us) CSAs will win a $100 gift certificate to the LocalHarvest catalog. Contest ends September 30. We appreciate your help in rounding out our national directory!

As always, take good care and eat well,

Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest