The idea of eating real food is awesome, but the implementation in every day life with little ones running around, long days and empty cabinets can often be overwhelming. The secret to success is making small changes that you can sustain. Don’t try and change everything at once, but try and change one thing for good. Each change will take you one step closer to a healthier lifestyle!

One change that we made toward this goal was to join a local CSA.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is basically a subscription to a local farm for their produce. Not all CSA farms are organic, but many of them are and you can search for one that is certified organic to be sure you know exactly what you’ll be getting. Each one is set up a bit differently, but for the most part you agree to pay a set fee and get a regular pick-up or delivery of their box of produce!

CSA BENEFITS:

• You support local organic farming
• You get whatever they have growing that week which is part of the greatness of it. It will challenge you and your family to eat local organic produce and greatly expand your repertoire of real food. It often opens your eyes to new produce that you would not normally buy and more produce variety = big health benefits!
• Most CSA’s are a cost savings over buying even non-local, non-organic produce at the grocery store, and a huge cost savings from buying the items individually at a health food store or farmer’s market.
• Having fresh produce delivered to your door saves many trips to the grocery store!

HOW TO FIND ONE:
If you don’t know how to find a CSA in your area, just ask around at your local farmer’s market, google CSA and your city or visit a site like www.localharvest.org to find more information on CSA programs in your area.

BONUS TIP:
If you live in a subdivision with good neighbor interaction or if you have a channel to communicate news and information with the community, consider starting a CSA program in your neighborhood. Many farms or CSA groups will give a host discount or free produce box to someone who coordinates a neighborhood pick-up that exceeds a certain # of orders. It’s a great community event, and a way to supplement the cost with a little bit of time and effort!