Wow! I have so much produce I am not sure what to do with it anymore.

Yesterday, my basket of farm foods – mostly vegetables – came from the small farm I deal with.

Number one – let me say community supported agriculture is amazing. This concept of providing farmers with upfront money to invest in their farms in exchange for a share in the harvest is an idea that is long overdue. While I know it is not a new idea, I cannot fathom why it is not more popular. This same concept, in a barter format, is how farmers in the beginnings of the US got their homes fixed and heated these same farmhouses in the winter. Now, it is cash upfront for harvest throughout the harvest period.

Number two, even those who champion organics will tell you that the closer the produce is to you, the better it is for you. While those lemons won’t grow in upstate NY on a normal basis, what produce you can get close to your home is fresher than that which has traveled thousands of miles to get to your grocery store. So find that local farm and buy from it. It is good for the local economy and it is good for the local farmer.

Number three, the harvest I get on a weekly basis is based on what the farm produces. Due to this, I have found new recipes and expanded our ever-growing menus. I have even tried cooking “normal” summer foods, like corn on the cob, in new ways. I now grill my corn and love it!