Sandy Spring CSA

The week of May 19, 2008, we got rhubarb, spinach, lettuce, mixed salad greens, spring onions, spring garlic (looks like young spring onions, but garlic has a flat leaf and spring onion has a round leaf) herb, collards, radishes and asparagus.

Hours and contact info:

Pick up IS ALWAYS ON MONDAYS regardless of holidays.

Sandy Spring
Hours of pick-up: 1PM to 7PM
Location: Meeting House Rd off 108 in the center of Sandy Spring. Park in front of the Community House (first, large white building) and go to the porch on the side of the building. There will be signage directing you to the porch.
Contacts: Meg Pease-Fye at meg.peasefye@fda.hhs.gov or 301-796-1130 to check that this is your site.

For Sandy Spring logistics questions, please contact Gene Klinger at 301-260-1635.

Rockville
Hours: 2PM to 7PM
Location: 2 blocks from the Rockville Metro at the corner of Maple & Reading
Contact: Vanessa Strunk at vandiva@comcast.net or 301-424-9142.

Kensington
Hours: 3PM to 7PM
Location: 9823 Haverhill Drive, Kensington, MD 20895 CORRECTED ZIP CODE Please Mapquest for exact directions.
Contact: Winnie Holbrooke at winniekh@aol.com or 301-509-8097.

Your CSA organizers had a wonderful time meeting all of you last week. I must recount my favorite feedback. Several people said they could hardly wait through the winter for the CSA to start up again. The delight that several of you expressed in seeing the box of beautiful produce made us feel really good about organizing this effort. The best was one Mom, who commented that she wondered that strangers didn’t come and steal the produce. As an example, she said jokingly “like marauding teenagers” and her not-yet-teenage son said, “Teenagers stealing vegetables? Yeah right, Mom.”

Getting to know farmers and developing a working friendship with Farmer Pam Stegall has been a major part of my joy in doing this CSA. To share my appreciation for Pam with you, we have started to post what we are calling Farmer’s Journal on the website. Pam tells hilarious stories from the farm, which both give us empathy for her daily challenges and a glimpse into her unique relations with her Amish farming network. Click NEWS to find the Farmer’s Journal. Feel free to leave comments.

Paula sent us the link to this very interesting experiment in eating locally Splendid Table. Locavore Nation is a year-long effort to see what it takes to live by a regionally based diet. Join 15 individuals, from around the country, share their experiences as they try to get 80 percent of their food from local, organic, seasonal sources and then incorporate it into tasty, healthy meals. Can they do it? Check back often as their stories unfold—and offer your comments on their actions along the way. Or follow along on-air as our participants check in periodically with Lynne.

For local food events, check out Edible Chesapeake.

Paul also reminded me of a few more good books to read about eating locally and CSA. This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Gussow is one of those. It actually is the book that caused me seven years ago to get interested in CSA and partner with Robert True to start the Sandy Spring CSA. Paul suggests two other books, PLENTY: EATING LOCALLY ON THE 100 MILE DIET by Alisa Smith & J.B. Mackinnon and Michael Pollan’s new book on the best-seller list: IN DEFENSE OF FOOD: AN EATER’S MANIFESTO.

And one last book recommendation from Local Mix, the email newsletter of Edible Chesapeake magazine. THE COMPASSIONATE CARNIVORE by Catherine Friend is a funny-because-it’s-true look at what it takes to get factory-farmed meats off the table and replace them with humanely raised meats that have lived healthy lives and make healthy food. Friend finds this a challenge even though she has moved to a farm to raise lamb for meat. She speaks to those of us who live in urban areas as well as those who live in proximity to farms.

Enjoy,

Erin
Sandy Spring CSA