Support your local CSA

Preparing the soil at Three Springs Farm....

Before we left for our month in France, I had already invested in our local CSA (Community Supported Agrigulture), Three Springs Farm, which is a relatively small five acre, all organic farm in northeastern Oklahoma. http://www.threespringsfarm.com/index.html

"Community Supported Agriculture started in the early 1980s in New England as a means of connecting communities with their local farmers. Members pay up-front to provide the farmers with much needed capital at the beginning of the season. The concept of "community support" also guarantees farmers an outlet for their products. In exchange, members get fresh local products and an intimate connection to the people growing their food." owners Emily Oakley and Mike Appel

Since changing from conventional to organic food sources, I'd been looking for a healthy and delicious, but economical way to fulfill our requirements.

From my childhood, I remembered the "fresh from the garden taste" of just picked tomatoes, the tender stalks of asparagus and the succulent, sweet flavor of strawberries eaten right out of the strawberry patch. My family was lucky enough to have an enormous garden, meticulously planted each year by my father. It was with this in mind that I started my search for a local Farmer's Market, hoping to recapture the memories and tastes of my youth.

The Cherry Street Farmer's Market, http://www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com/ which was established in 1998, was my market of choice since I had visited there one Saturday several years ago and was impressed by the selection and quality of the local produce. After looking at their website, I came across my CSA and decided that I wanted to be a part of it, even if that meant rising earlier than I would like on a Saturday morning. So, the rest is....or will be ...history.

More and more cities across the U.S. now have local Farmer's Markets, much like the markets we see across Europe. Here in Lannion, we visit the weekly Thursday marché as well as local markets in the neighboring towns, each with their own traditions and specialties.

Lannion Thursday marché

For now, our account is "on hold" until we return to the U.S. but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to practicing my shopping skills "en francais" in Lannion, my home away from home.