Do you enjoy quality, organic produce, supporting local small business, or both? Well, you can have it all here in Concord! I'm super excited to have partnered with Local Harvest CSA and want to spread the word!
This is the first time I have joined a CSA and am really surprised about how connected I feel to my community and food as a result! It's so cool to get to know the lady that organizes pick up and read about the farmers and produce I will be receiving. There is even suggested recipes! Before I get too far ahead of myself, I'll let Melina from Local Harvest CSA tell you all about it!
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a way to buy local food directly from farmers. Members purchase a share and pick up their vegetables weekly throughout the growing season. We have multiple pick-up locations listed on the website. Purchasing a farm share is an investment in your health, community, and local economy. It’s a partnership between farmers and the communities they serve. It helps keep independent businesses thriving and helps to secure a strong local food system.
Where does your food come from?
We are a cooperative of 5 certified organic farms in New Hampshire. Our farms include Kearsarge Gore Farm (Warner), Vegetable Ranch (Warner), Good Earth Farm (Weare), Middle Branch Farm (New Boston), and Stoneridge Farm (Bradford).
So...besides helping our local economy, what advantages are there to getting food from a local CSA?
Eating food from your CSA share ensures you are getting the freshest food at the peak of ripeness, which also happens to be the time of peak nutritional value. I like to refer to it as S.O.U.L food, Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed, and Local. These vegetables are much more flavorful than what you can find at the grocery store. These varieties are chosen for flavor and taste rather than for storage capabilities to be shipped long distance. They are picked fresh the morning they arrive at pick-up.
Can you tell us what foods people can expect from Local Harvest CSA including optional add-ons?
Our farmers offer a wide variety of vegetables through the growing season. Early season in New England offers many varieties of greens like Swiss chard, kale, lettuces, salad mixes, and beet greens. Early summer we'll start getting vegetables like radishes, kohlrabi, and garlic scapes. During mid-summer, the heartier vegetables ripen up and there is an abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, and so much more. As the season progresses and the cooler weather hits the root crops are available such as potatoes, beets, carrots, and squash. We offer bread and maple syrup as an add-on all season and occasionally offer eggs when the chickens cooperate.
Since there are 3 different sizes, how can families calculate what is best for them?
We offer 3 share sizes during the summer abundance season, Basic, Standard, and Full. A basic share is our smallest and intended to feed 1-2 people for the week. A standard share is a bit larger and fit for small families or those that eat a lot of vegetables, feeding about 3-4 people. Our full share is the largest, family share and is enough for 5-7 people. During spring and fall seasons we only offer standard and full-sized shares.
What happens to their share if they go to Disney World, for example, and can't pick it up?
We have vacation options if you'll be away for pick-up day. If you let us know by the Friday before the missed share, we won't order one for that week and rather offer a double share at a later date of your choice.
How can our readers sign up to get theirs?
You can sign up by visiting our website at https://www.localharvestnh.com/. We pro-rate our shares each week, so you can sign up at any point during the season and will only pay for the number of shares you receive. If you prefer to chat first please send an email to info@localharvestnh.com or call 603-731-5955.
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