Community

Thank you for inviting our fresh produce into your school and homes! One of the most rewarding aspects of farming for me is hearing the stories of how you and other of our member families incorporate new ways of using vegetables in their daily lives. This is one place that MORE is BETTER!

Food is a subject that I'm intensely passionate about. Clean food specifically. In our culture the subject of food can get pretty complicated. Eating ends up being much more than simply nourishing our bodies. Food becomes a way to celebrate hallmark moments, a way to demonstrate our love, or a device to curb boredom or other emotions. And then there's the convenience factor. We have to eat to live and we are often eating in between activities and commitments. Who has time to cook, anymore? Eating and preparing food at home has become more challenging then ever.

I was alarmed to learn that 30% of our school age children will develop diabetes in their lifetimes. There are a million weight loss and health promoting diets circulating. What if it was as simple has doubling one's vegetable consumption? The USDA recommends a minimum of 5 servings and a higher goal of 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day (2 of those being fruit). Try this measure out one cup of fruit, one cup of veggies, and one cup of salad greens. This constitutes 5 servings. I still find this hard to achieve on a daily basis.

I want our children to eat their vegetables. Well, what I really want is our children to LOVE eating their vegetables! We will do what we love. There is no way to get fresher produce than receiving a basket straight from the farm the day it is picked, unless you're growing it yourself. Fresh produce tastes infinitely better than that that has spent several days in the supply chain. It's one small step we make towards our member families loving their vegetables!

We try to create baskets that have vegetable staples that most people find palatable and know how to use. At the same time we introduce a few less common items that you might not try otherwise. The winter and early spring include lots of greens. Greens that the medical community keep telling us we need more of. But, it's true, they can be challenging to incorporate into our established habits and routines. Boredom though, turns out to be a great impetus towards creativity!

We hope that you've enjoyed our produce, that you have found one or two new ways to eat more veggies and that you'll continue to support local, sustainable farms!

Laurie Constable

Local Community Links:

California LowLines
Grass-fed, award-winning cattle ranch.

SB Naturally
Promoting Natural and Healthy Living