Community Supported Agriculture to Boost Your Health

Supporting your local farmer is one of the best ways to improve your health. One of the complaints that I hear from many of my patients in Goldsboro is that we do not have a good grocery store like one of the “wholesome” chain stores that focuses on providing healthy alternatives and organic produce. Some of them drive an hour and a half to Raleigh to shop. I admit that it is a challenge to be vegetarian (actually vegan) in a small city in Eastern North Carolina . The grocery stores in this area do not have the best selection of fresh produce.

Of course, I live in the middle of farm country, and I pass several fresh vegetable stands on my drive home from work. Like most modern Americans, my wife and I are accustomed to the convenience of the supermarket to shop once weekly. I envy the Europeans who drop by the market every day or two for fresh food for the evening meal. If you have ever had a preservative-free fresh baguette from the streets of Paris , you will no longer enjoy the plastic wrapped flour product that we call bread.

I have recently discovered a way to purchase fresh produce delivered weekly from a local farm. It is referred to as Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA ). You can learn more by clicking on the USDA link. The idea behind CSA is that local citizens support local growers by paying a weekly, monthly or seasonal fee and are then supplied with a box of fresh produce from the local farm each week. This method helps the farmers by providing revenue at the beginning of the growing season so that they can purchase seeds and other supplies and it helps the consumers because they receive fresh, fully ripened food that tastes better and is more nutritious because it was not picked early and then shipped across the country to sit for days or weeks before consumption. This is a win-win for everyone. If you want fresh, organic food, this is the healthiest way to get it other than growing it yourself.

I found a local farm near Goldsboro in LaGrange , NC called Rabbittown Farms & Vineyard that I will be supporting. I will let you know how it goes. All you have to do to find a farm near you is to visit www.localharvest.org and enter your zip code to search for one near you. Enjoy the feast.

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