Community Supported Agriculture~CSA

Community Supported Agriculture~CSA


Last night we met with our local farmer that grows our produce for the CSA.

This will be our 7th year to support him and his family and reap the harvest of their labor and prayers. I can say that we have always been pleased with our produce and the quality of the veggies continues to improve year after year, not that they were ever bad. Our farmer continues to educate himself and has committed to not use any chemicals on our crops. He is not certified organic but grows organics and uses sustainable methods of farming. I encourage you to check out your local CSA and support them and enjoy the fruit of their labor.

The way ours works is that at the beginning of the season we give our farmer seed money and then for approximately 26 weeks of harvest we get a portion of produce that feeds a family of 4 who eat a primarly plant based diet. We also have access to several other items such as bakery, raw milk, raw milk cheeses, grass fed beef, organic free range chicken, eggs, handmade soaps, fermented drinks and veggies and such. We pick up our produce once a week and any other items we have ordered. The group I belong to also orders from United buying Club once a month and we do a group buy from a local organic produce supplier.

If you are not aware of anything like this near you, call your local health food stores and check out this site Local Harvest, CSA and get involved in your community and support your local farmer!!!
 
The CSA also offers opportunities to fellowship with like-minded people, whether it is on the topic of health, spirituality or family.  We share infomation on various subjects~from raising children to raising chickens....making new recipes....herbal remedies....we pray for one another....sometimes we pick up and deliver veggies to someone who's is having a conflict in scheduling....the list is endless to how we minister to one another as a community....
 
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Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:8
 
Geneva Study Bible

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he
Wesley's Notes
Prov.23:7 So is he - You are not to judge of him by his words, but by the constant temper of his mind.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

What are you thinking about today????  The thoughts we think mold us into the character we display...
If you want to please God and bless those around you....
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

Remember garbage in, garbage out....guard your mind...and the thoughts you think....

Community Supported Agriculture~CSA

Last week we met with our local farmer that grows our produce for the CSA.
This will be our 6th year to support him and his family and reap the harvest of their labor and prayers. I can say that we have always been pleased with our produce and the quality of the veggies continues to improve year after year, not that they were ever bad. Our farmer continues to educate himself and has committed to not use any chemicals on our crops. He is not certified organic but grows organics and uses sustainable methods of farming. I encourage you to check out your local CSA and support them and enjoy the fruit of their labor.
The way ours works is that at the beginning of the season we give our farmer seed money and then for approximately 26 weeks of harvest we get a portion of produce that feeds a family of 4 who eat a primarly plant based diet. We also have access to several other items such as bakery, raw milk, raw milk cheeses, grass fed beef, organic free range chicken, eggs, handmade soaps, fermented drinks and veggies and such. We pick up our produce once a week and any other items we have ordered. The group I belong to also orders from United buying Club once a month and we do a group buy from a local organic produce supplier.
If you are not aware of anything like this near you, call your local health food stores and check out this site Local Harvest, CSA and get involved in your community!

Community Supported Agriculture, Banana Split Ice cream smoothie & Raw Cheese Quesadilla

We are having a hot and humid 90 degree day with sunshine!!! Lot's of Vitamin D available today.
Wednesday's are my pick up day for CSA (community supported agriculture). If you are not familiar with them..here is a website to learn about them.. http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Each week I get a share of my local farmer's crop that feeds a family of four that consumes a primarily plant based diet. Prior to the planting season I make arrangements to pay for the seasons harvest, which is 26 weeks. I have been doing this for 5 years and we love the fresh variety of produce and we get to support our local farmer's. We have been working with our farmer for about 7 years and he uses only sustainable & organic farming methods..Our portion today consisted of a bunch of kale, bok choy, mixed salad greens, (Yah!! for greens) 4 red peppers, a couple of tomatoes, a bunch of carrots, butternut squash, basil, okra, chives and
2nd peppers (2nd's are not choice but they will throw those in as freebies)so...with all of this plus yesterday's produce I purchased at the Farmer's Market our family should be set with more than enough and with the overflow I will dehydrate what I cannot use.

The family that host the CSA also has access to raw milk cheese, raw milk, organic meats, bakery goods, homemade soaps and other items as well as ordering wholesale from the warehouse to purchase organic and other healthy foodstuffs and personal items. I also network with another group that purchases wholesale organic produce from a distributor locally, which we order monthly. This is really great in the winter months. This is community support in action as we all work together ~some providing, some helping, distributing and delivering to one another when needed. Each of us is needed and mutually blessed~

This morning I had 1 quart of watermelon juice
2~16 oz bottles of green lemonade
bowl of banana, pineapple, blueberries topped with walnuts

mid afternoon~ romaine lettuce, 1 heaping T. of black beans & corn, 1/3 c. pico de gallo, grilled zuchinni & peppers,small amount of guacamole, non-raw chipotle dressing & about 6 corn chips

After this meal I couldn't hardly stay awake... Live enzymes are where it is at...
I went out to eat with my youngest daughter to have some special alone time with her and by the end of our time I felt like a zombie...we went for a walk and I could barely keep my eyes focused.. :(

So when we got home I prepared a banana split ice cream/smoothie & I ate 1 cup & sprinkled more cacao nibs on it. I am awake now :):):)

BANANA SPLIT ICE CREAM/SMOOTHIE

In this order put into a Vitamix: 12 oz of coconut milk, 4 bananas, raw cacao nibs, frozen strawberries, raw honey and vanilla, blend and add enough ice to make it super thick..what we didn't eat I froze for later. You could also use frozen bananas instead of ice.

RAW CHEESE QUESADILLA

late night snack...which I need to give up...raw cheese quesadilla~red bullhorn pepper sliced lengthwise and filled with pressed garlic & gouda raw milk cheese..

This afternoon I jumped on the trampoline for 10 mins. and did a 55 min cardio sculpt workout and this evening I walked for 3 miles

I would also like to say that every day I drink lots of water...this will go without saying(posting) from now on :)

Rise and Shine & a visit to the Farmer's Market!

Upon rising I drank
32 oz of Green lemonade

Mid morning I had fresh pineapple & blueberries sprinkled with Hemp seeds~Thanks to Matt Monarch

Mid afternoon~ Salad bowl filled with mixed greens(collards,leaf lettuce,celery leaves, fennel),grated carrots & cabbage, 1 yellow heirloom tomato thanks to my CSA(community supported agriculture)friends 1 red bullhorn pepper (from the farmers market, 1 crushed garlic clove, organic extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 lemon squeezed.,sprinkled with hemp seeds and a little raw milk gouda cheese..from my Amish friends.....now I'm thinking of a bit of Cacao Bliss..1 teaspoon...yummy

I visited the farmer's market this evening and here is what I picked up..
6 watermelons...my hubby is devouring almost one a day and my kiddo's try to get what they can
red bell peppers/bullhorn peppers/green peppers/sweet banana peppers
2 quarts of raw honey
some lettuces
cherry tomatoes~which I munched on in my car

I have to confess to a very human thing I did on my way home...one of my struggles that I am trying to give up completely... a tall coffee frappuchino :( I have really cut way back on these in fact I have gone a few weeks at a time without one...someday I hope that the desire is all gone...
I did give up my chai tea soymilk latte's in the morning quite some time ago...Yippee!

late supper~ 1 bullhorn pepper split down the middle with very thinly sliced raw gouda and one crushed garlic clove...kinda like a cheese quesadilla :)

This afternoon before my errand run I jumped on my trampoline for 33 mins and after my human thing I went to the park and walked/ran for 3 1/2 miles...