Meet Great CSAs in Buy Fresh Buy Local Story
Also, meet seven farmers repping Illinois at next week's Farmers for Climate Action
Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois’ CSA Feature
I am happy to share my latest article for the Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois Directory, which focuses on our state’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms.
Yesterday, February 28, was National CSA Day. Most CSA farms have subscriptions to sell that ensure customers of fresh, delicious, locally and sustainable grown foods throughout the growing season or for shorter durations if they so choose.
There are many options for buying locally produced food, through farmers markets, e-commerce, food co-ops, and grocers adding more local vendors. Yet CSA continues to be an important part of the local food system, and it remains the most personal way to know your farmer and know your food.
Featured in the blog post are two of Illinois’ thriving CSAs: Prairie Wind Family Farm in Grayslake, which grows and sells produce, and Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA in Ottawa, which is the oldest among a handful of Meat CSAs. The Millers of Prairie Wind and the Osmunds of Cedar Valley are among my longtime farmer friends, and I’m confident you will enjoy reading about their work.
Click the button below to access the story on Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois, and while you’re there, peruse the directory of farms, farmers markets, retail outlets and more that feature local and sustainably grown foods.
Local Food Forum yesterday reported about the Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience that takes place next week (March 6-8) in Washington, D.C. I subsequently learned that Illinois Stewardship Alliance is sponsoring seven of our state’s farmers to attend and represent us at this important event.
Two of the farmers are good friends of Local Food Forum: Christine Johnson of Wild Trillium Farm in Richmond, co-chair of the Alliance’s Local Food Farmer Caucus and a leader in the Northern Illinois Young Farmers Coalition, and Andy Hazzard of Hazzard Free Grain Farm in Pecatonica.
Here is the rest of the group:
Chad Wallace of Oak Tree Organics in Ashland, and president of the Alliance’s Board of Directors
Josh Snedden of Fox at the Fork Farm in Monee
Kamina Loveless of Food Space Farm in East St. Louis
Jessica Whiston of Terripin Farm Stand in Quincy
Nathan Ryder of Ryder Family Farm in Golconda, the Alliance’s communications coordinator.
We hope everyone has a great trip and look forward to hearing their first-person reports on their return.