I briefly mentioned it in my post on locovores on Facebook, but I’m making my way through the box of veggies (and STRAWBERRIES!) that I got from my CSA last week. Here’s a picture of last week’s bounty:

April 26th box

Depicted in the photo above are: Baby Leeks, Cilantro, Baby Carrots, Teenage Yellow Carrots, Strawberries, Bok Choy, Red Chard, Little Gem Lettuces, Rapini Greens and Radishes.

I made pretty quick work of the strawberries which were perhaps the sweetest, most succulent strawberries I have ever tasted. Seriously, nothing I found in the supermarket could even compare to these. I’ve also gone through the chard, the yellow carrots, the rapini greens (or broccoli rabe), one head of bok choy and one of the lettuces and some of the radishes and baby leeks. All very, good, very fresh, very organic and most importantly, very local.

Ever since I became more interested in food and everything that goes along with it, I’ve been becoming more conscious about where my food comes from. Previously, I never thought about where my food came from; all I knew was that there was plenty of fruit and veggies at the supermarket and eating fruits and veggies was important. But now I’m beginning to care more about the origin of my food. I was surprised to read that on average, produce travels 1,500 miles before reaching the markets. That’s 1,500 miles of transportation costs and everything that goes along with that. I’ve also been learning about how produce is picked and at times, artificially ripened so that it looks good on the shelves–thank you Alton Brown. Yikes!

So I’ve trying to make an effort to get my produce from local farms, supporting a business that’s slowly dying to large producers. Sure, it takes some effort to clean the dirt from the greens and leeks, but there’s something satisfying in knowing that the food I’m eating was grown by families who care not only for the land but the people who work for them. Plus, I’m learning about growing seasons and when things are available.

From what I can gather, this week’s bounty will include: Green Cabbage, Salad Mix, more Baby Carrots & Teenage Yellow Carrots, Erbette Chard, more Little Gem Lettuces or Cauliflower, Spigariello and a Mystery Item (whatever that means!). Can’t wait!