Video: Nigel Walker, “Know Your Farmer”
By WorldLink Staff | June 19, 2014 | 1 Comment
Do you know the men and women who grow your food? Nigel Walker, founder of Eatwell Farm, explains why it’s important to know your farmer and support their livelihood.
Every farm tells a story. Knowing your farmer traces an arc from the soil to your table. One way you can build a relationship with your farmer is to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. In this locally-based economic model, community members support a farm by paying it directly for a share of its seasonal bounty. As Nigel Walker says, “When you give your money to a local farmer, that money goes to the local economy.”
Tips On Choosing a CSA
How do you choose a CSA? Use these tips to guide your search.
1. Find out what’s available. Browse Local Harvest for a list of CSAs in your area. Visit local farmers markets and ask about CSA programs.
2. Assess your lifestyle. CSA programs typically offer weekly or biweekly boxes of produce. Are you around enough to enjoy the fresh food? Are you buying food for yourself, your roommates, or your family? What types of foods are you interested in purchasing: veggies, fruits, dairy products, honey, meats?
3. What growing practices do you support? Are you looking for organic produce or pasture-raised meats? When researching a CSA program, learn what farming practices it champions. Better yet, take a farm tour and really get to know your farmer and their practices!
4. Pick up or home delivery? Your CSA may offer delivery to a central community pick-up location or directly to your home. Find a program that works best for you.
Do you belong to a CSA? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
Additional resources:
- Learn more about CSAs and find programs in your area through Local Harvest and Eat Well Guide.
- Read 10 Tips For Making the Most of Your CSA from Serious Eats.
- Watch our short film, Farmers Markets.
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Wonderful article and well organized plan on how people can establish a relationship with their local farmer. The benefits are immense and so it is important that organizations like this exist to enhance the farmer-consumer relationship that feeds and nourishes cultures.
Well done!
Chef Del Cook
www.applewasabi.com