Community Supported Agriculture

I just recently was turned on to the whole CSA movement, which looks like a really awesome thing. Basically, you pay in advance for a certain period of time in which you'll get weekly deliveries of seasonal veggies, and in some instances, even things like honey, dairy products, and meat, all from local farmers. It's a great way to save money on buying produce at a supermarket, and in many instances, a good way to get some organic veggies on the cheap.

Through the power of the internet, I found Snow's Bend Farm, which in addition to providing CSA veggies throughout the Tuscaloosa & Greater Birmingham, also ships fresh produce to a lot of my favorite eateries on Birmingham's south side, including Bottega's and Chez Fonfon.

So far, there aren't any spots open for signing up on their CSA, but I've talked to the people there and expressed interest in getting on board if space appears. I'm not sure what the cost breakdown is, but most people tend to shave a good bit off their grocery bills, in addition to getting to cook with vegetables that they may not have considered to be in their comfort zone. For instance, I pass Swiss Chard at the grocer every week without thinking about getting it, but if I had a bunch of it delivered one week, I'd be put into a position to figure out just what you could make with it.

Besides, look at this sample box and tell me you don't have the urge to just eat a bunch of delicious veggies. These are AWESOME: