Sharing the Harvest

One of the joys of participating in Arctic Organics' CSA this summer has been sharing the overflow with others.

I felt like a real neighbor when I was able to offer watercress and collard greens to my next-door neighbor.

I felt like a philanthropist when I arrived at work with two-gallon bags filled with cauliflower and beets and onions and yes, more greens.

And I felt frugal and deeply connected and like one half of a good friendship when I asked a friend to gather our mail and water our plants while we were out of town--in exchange for our weekly bounty of vegetables. She in turn shared the veggies with her daughter and another of our friends, and it was a great opportunity for her to evaluate the CSA experience before signing up next year (she plans to!).

The online mag Grist has a post this week about single people and CSAs. We're only two in our family (well, three if you count the dog, Brady, who likes "Lettuce Day"), and while it's been a challenge to keep up with the harvest, it has definitely been worth the work. It has pushed me to make connections, be generous, be frugal, and be a friend. I'm about to re-learn how to preserve the harvest. It's a good thing, as Martha would say.

We'll probably try Full Circle Farm this winter, and it has more flexibility for family size. But I hope to be back with Arctic Organics next summer.