Tomorrow is Wednesday.

“So what?” you might ask.

Well, for my roommates and I, Wednesdays have come to mean an overflowing refrigerator, back porch, fruit basket, and kitchen table.  Wednesdays are the day that we find squash rolling across the living room floor and cloves of garlic in our jacket pockets.  Wednesdays are the day that we pick up our CSA box from Primrose Community Farm, a small, family run farm in Middleton, WI.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is one of the best ways that one can reconnect with the surrounding community and landscape.  At the beginning of a growing season, an individual/ household pays a farmer money upfront for a share of that season’s harvest.  This mutually beneficial relationship provides the farmer with income when it is needed most and gives the consumer a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables over the next few months.

Kohlrabi

We’ve purchased a winter storage share, which includes vegetables such as carrots, turnips, kale, squash, garlic, cabbage, celeriac, and onions to name but a few.  Winter shares typically contain hearty root vegetables that will keep for a while, which is especially nice in the winter when fresh, local produce is harder to come by.

Perhaps my favorite thing about our CSA share is that it forces me to become better acquainted with strange, but marvelous vegetables.  Over the past two years, I have slowly learned to cook with some “scary” looking vegetables (Have you ever seen a kohlrabi?).

Farmers generally will provide a recipe or two, as well as some tips on how to prepare vegetables.  One of the best resources that I have found to assist me in this task is MACSAC’s “From Asparagus to Zucchini” cookbook.  It covers exactly what it says–every vegetable from asparagus to zucchini and has proved to be an invaluable tool.

“Well, this all sounds dandy, but where can I find a CSA farm?” you might wonder.

Beets me! (ha ha ha, get it?)

CSA farms are available all over the country and are quickly gaining popularity.  Local Harvest is the best website that I have found when searching for a CSA.  If you’re in the Madison area, check out the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC).  Many of their farmers still have winter storage shares available.

Don’t be disheartened if the CSA farmer nearest you is still a ways away.  Many farmers have multiple drop-off sites to the nearest town.  Often times these are in obscure locations, such as the public library (where my family’s was growing up) or in a strip-mall parking lot.  Be sure to check with the grower to see where they drop off, or if you’re up for an adventure, take a drive out to the farm.  It’s a truly amazing experience to walk around and touch the earth that produced your food.

And always remember to thank your farmers.