The locavore movement, established on World Environment Day in 2005 in San Francisco, encourages the consumption of local seasonal products. Portland was “going locavore” before it hit the rest of the nation. We have belonged to a Community-Sustained Agriculture farm (a CSA) since 2004, almost ten years before our urban-to-rural migration.
With four kids ages 3-9, this busy mom was losing variety on our dinner table – year-round diet of tomatoes, peas, lettuce, cukes and carrots from the grocery produce section.
I learned about a local urban farm called 47th Avenue Farm where organic farmer Laura Masterson offered shares of her farm, giving her a steady income and shareholders fresh organic vegetables grown within the city limits of Portland, OR.
The pick-up location, back then behind Laura’s house, was blocks away from us. I was hooked on this vegetable adventure and anticipation of seasonal surprises in our weekly share. Not without a steep learning curve. What to do with kohlrabi, 15-pound Hubbard squash, fava beans, peppery mizuna, green garlic, and a host of potato and tomato varietals kept me on my culinary toes. Following Farmer Laura’s recipes, we found new favorites, Tuscan kale, broccoli greens, grilled eggplant and the creamy texture of kabocha squash.
Here in Central Wisconsin, we joined Tony Schultz’s Stoney Acre Farm’s CSA.
There is comfort in knowing the hands and lands that nurture our food.
Photo by SAM of our latest farm share from Tony.
