Three years ago I purchased an annual CSA membership from Harmony Valley Farms and it has changed my life. Well, maybe not changed, so much as enhanced. I already was a huge fan of farmer's markets, organic food, fair trade practices, free range meats, and buying local. What I didn't expect is that it would forever change the way I think about food and community.
I used to do 95% of my food shopping at mega stores of convenience and affordability- such as Cub and SuperTarget. The rest I would get from rare, fun, trips to farmers' markets and maybe Whole Foods or various Co-Ops. Today, I get @80% of my veggies for the year from the CSA (one full box every other week from May to December), and about 10% from farmers markets and the local Anoka Co-Op, where I now have a lifetime membership, and the remaining 10% from Cub and SuperTarget. As a result, much of the food I prepare and eat is healthier, pesticide free, supports small to mid-size local farmers, and most importantly, tastes better. I also bought an organic fruit share this year, so from June to September, this will provide most of my fruit and dessert needs.
I used to hate grocery shopping (still do, when it involves limited time and crowded megastores), but now I plan most of my meals around what's in season and what shows up in my box, so it's become more enjoyable. There is a farmers' market in Maple Grove on Thursday evenings that I like to stop at during ths summer to buy meats and cheeses and gluten-free bakery goods at. It is very family friendly, and there is always something to buy, like wild-rice sausage or thick cut black pepper bacon, that I am excited about making into a meal.
I love to grab a couple of bags and walk the 8 or 9 blocks along the river from my house to the Anoka Co-Op. The people who work at the Co-Op seem to know everyone in the community. It feels very small-town. It smells like food, and lavender and fresh herbs. Sometimes on warm days I stop at Two Scoops ice cream shop across the street. They change the flavors all the time; it's fun to try the new ones. The ice cream is made in Wisconsin, and it is definitely not low-fat, but it is sooo good. My favorite so far is the coconut ice cream.
In life, it is natural for one experience to lead to another. I believe good choices lead to positive experiences, which lead to more positive experiences, which hopefully spread beyond us to touch others' lives in a positive way. For me, buying a CSA share has led to more family meals, better tasting and healthier food, greater creativity and enjoyment of cooking, and feeling more connected to my community.
Outright activism can frankly come off like judgemental condemnation which gets old and annoying, and can become far from a loving gesture. This applies to more than just food. People on high horses have further to fall. Yes, McDonalds may be the opposite of good food, but sometimes you just want french fries and you want to enjoy them without a lecture. And don't even get me started about bacon. (I'm sorry, but I believe God invented pigs to be eaten. Ideally, in moderation, and after being raised by kind farmers on a smallish farm in the countryside with rolling hills.)
So cheers to you, and to choices! May we make more good than bad, more happy than sad, and may one good choice lead to another.
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