Do you know what a CSA Food Box is? Learn what Community Supported Agriculture is & how it works

I've asked 57 people so far and wasn't too surprised that only a few people knew what Community Supported Agriculture was.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way that consumers can buy local seasonal fresh food direct from farmers. We pay a subscription fee or membership fee and each week we receive a box or bag of local fresh seasonal food, some foods you may have eaten before some you may not so food boxes are sort of like Christmas because you get surprises. This arrangement benefits both farmer and eater in a variety of ways, most important to me is receiving pure food and developing relationships with the farmers who grow the food.

Visit the Local Harvest website to learn more about CSAs and to find CSAs near you, your family, and friends because why not give CSA subscriptions to people you care about for birthdays, Christmas, wedding gifts, moving to a new area, etc. The gift of organic food is a terrific gift!

Currently the Local Harvest database lists 213 CSAs in the State of Washington!

I'm visiting two farms today and meeting the folks behind them

6:00 a.m.:
I'm pretty darn excited to be visiting the good people at Viva Farms in Burlington and Well Fed Farms in Bow today. You'll be learning what I learn soon so stay tuned!

9:00 p.m.:
Back home. What a fun full sunshiny day! I filmed 5 farmers at Viva Farms (including the Director Sarita Schaffer) and Katharine Isserlis at Well Fed Farms. Now comes the indoors stuff ... processing 6 videos and the photographs. Stay tuned!

The First Post - Tah Dah!

Wow, this blog is finally developing. Much later than expected just like so many acres of crops throughout Skagit Valley that could use the medicine of serious doses of Sunshine Vitamin D. Strawberries are slowly ripening. Corn isn’t all the way sweet. Tomatoes, well they’re hangin’ around chillin’ on the vine waiting for sunny days.

This first post should probably introduce myself, say why I started this blog, what I hope to accomplish with it, and where I hope it leads. The usual FAQs.

WHO AM I? My name is Denice. Lived in greater Seattle always. My occupation is full-time real estate agent and part-time freelance legal secretary. I’m athletic and have lots of interests, mostly I love to laugh. I’m known to say REALLY?!? in a really high voice way too much. I have a Chihuahua named Tippy that I hope you’ll meet, a special Chihuahua for many reasons: gentle as a baby angel, doesn’t bite, doesn’t bark much, can squeal like a pig, models things I put on her. And believe it or not, she's a natural sheep herder.

WHY DID I START THIS BLOG? This blog came about as an extension of something I love, road trips! I love to drive. I love to travel. I love country roads, open spaces, tractors, and animals. Along with wandering around Skagit Valley, driving passed farmers working, visiting farms and livestock, and seeing fields of food and flowers I began getting lots of farm fresh and organic food here. Food straight from farmers and butchers that I trust.

WHAT DO I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH? I love sharing food and road trip stories and that led to me wanting to put together some sort of resource to share the neat people, places and things I bump into. Most people have never been on a farm or met a farmer. We can learn about farms all day but what about the people, the people who are the farmers that own/operate the farm? I hope that some of my fun, silliness, and adventure are contagious and you catch it and give it to someone. I hope some of my adventures get you excited about taking a kid or friend to visit a farm, talk to someone who farms, get your hands on quality local food, maybe try to grow something to eat in a pot on your windsill or deck.

WHERE DO I HOPE IT ALL LEADS? Well, you know, I’d like to leave that up to … The Universe. This idea is an extension of how I like to spend my time, it's not connected to paying work. It’ll get me playing with my video cams and cameras more often. I’ll be doing my part to contribute to the economy by purchasing copious amounts of fuel. Maybe some farmers in the valley, or family of them, will learn of it and share stories and paint pictures of lives of people who farm. I hope it leads to me learning more about Skagit Valley history, farming, and personal gardening.

I owe a huge THANKS to Jodie, Outreach and Marketing Coordinator at Skagit Valley Food Co-op in Mount Vernon for her help in getting me started on this project.