Community Supported Agriculture: The BOLD Way to Buy Food

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Although we’ve mentioned community supported agriculture (CSA) in previous posts, we haven’t actually talked about what CSAs really are or how they work. This post will give you some valuable information about these groups to help you determine if joining a CSA might be the right choice for you.

Becoming part of a community supported agriculture (CSA) group is one of the best investments you can make as part of your commitment to be BOLD. A CSA is formed when a group of people come together to pay a share of a farm’s expenses. In return, the farmer provides a box full of fruits, vegetables, and sometimes meat and dairy products to each individual every week. So, instead of paying for a certain number of pounds of fruits, vegetables, or beef, members of a CSA simply receive a weekly share of those crops that are in-season.

The farmer will either deliver these boxes directly to each group member’s home, or arrange a location at which each group member can pick-up his or her box. Most CSAs begin around April or May and last until September or October. Being supported by a CSA allows the farmer not to worry about profits, and instead focus on the quality of his or her crops and animals, as well as on excellent customer service.

CSAs began in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan in the early 1960s. People living in these countries were concerned about the increased development of land that had previously been used only for farming. They were worried that the increased development would cause the food they purchased in local supermarkets to be unsafe to eat. Groups of consumers and farmers came together to form partnerships in which the consumers would pay to fund local farms that were in danger of losing their land to development in exchange for a share of the farm’s crops each season. The idea of CSAs was brought to the North America in 1984 by Jan VanderTuin. 

So, there you have it. As a member of a CSA, you help support local farmers and improve the health of both you and your family with the continued purchase of delicious locally-grown, organic foods. For a list of Maryland farms that participate in CSAs, you can visit the Maryland Agriculture web site.

The Official "Organic"

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Maryland Department of Agriculture

"Organic" has become somewhat of a buzz word today. A lot of people use the term, but very few know what it means. Although we briefly talked about what it means to be organic in a previous post, we thought all of our readers could benefit from a little more information.

So, what exactly is "organic"? The word often means a lot of things to a lot of people, but a quick trip to the Maryland Department of Agriculture web site provides us with a nice, official description of the word.

"Organic" is actually a legal term. Its standards are defined and governed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Organic food is produced by farmers who use of renewable resources and conserve soil and water to enhance the quality of the environment for future generations. 

Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic fruits and vegetables are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, man-made fertilizers or sewage sludge, bioengineering (including the GMOs we mentioned in a previous post), or ionizing radiation.

Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier must inspect the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all of the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it arrives in your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified too. Organic certification is not a guarantee of quality or purity of the product. It is evidence of the farmer, producer, or manufacturer's adherence to an established system of agriculture and food production.

The Maryland Organic Certification Program is designed to provide assurance to consumers who purchase organic products that those products were grown according to the national organic standards. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is accredited by the USDA for compliance with the National Organic Program.

Being BOLD for Beginners!

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Did you know that farmers in the United States use more than 700 million pounds of pesticides on their crops each year? Did you know that many of these pesticides are unsafe for humans and can cause respiratory problems, neurological problems, and reproductive problems? Did you know that pesticides affect millions of peoples’ drinking water in the Chesapeake Bay region – OUR HOME! -- alone?

So, how can you help fight against the use of pesticides and improve your health, as well as the health of the local environment? Be BOLD!

Let’s start with the basics. What does it mean to eat locally-grown, organic food? If a food is labeled organic, does that mean it was grown on a local farm? If a food is locally grown, does that mean it’s also organic? Well, not necessarily.

In order for food to be certified organic, it must be processed according to some very strict standards set up by the United States’ government. If the food is a fruit or vegetable, this means that farmers cannot spray it with any man-made chemicals (including dangerous pesticides, fungicides, or insecticides). Farmers also cannot use seeds that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to help protect against certain pests. In the same sense, for a meat or diary product to be certified organic, farmers cannot feed antibiotics or artificial growth hormones to the animals from which those products are produced.

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So, how do you know which foods have been certified organic and are free of all of those nasty chemicals? That’s simple. Just look for the official USDA Organic label (pictured here) on the foods you want to buy. If the label isn’t there, that food has not been certified organic by the government and the standards under which it was produced may be questionable.

But, just because that apple you’re eating had a USDA Organic label on its skin doesn’t mean that it was grown in a Baltimore County, Carroll County, or even a Frederick County orchard. Many people assume that eating organic food is the same thing as eating locally-grown food. It’s not. That organic apple could have come from an orchard in Europe, South America, or Asia! Where that apple was grown has nothing to do with the way it was grown.

Eating food grown on local farms not only helps decrease the amount of gas (and pollution) needed to get your food from the farm to your plate, but also increases the quality of the food you eat. You’ll notice meals prepared with ingredients bought at local farmers’ markets taste better and fresher than meals prepared with the same ingredients bought at the grocery store.

Now you have the basics and know what you need to do, go ahead and be BOLD! Prepare at least one of your meals each day using locally-grown, organic ingredients. Your body (and the environment) will thank you!