Have you hugged your farmer today?
I almost missed my chance to do so. Every year, Chris and I sign up for a CSA- community supported agriculture. Last year, though, we received some bad news. Our normal farm-share, Ebb Tide, was closing up shop. We needed to find another farm.
Luckily we live on Whidbey Island, a farmer market’s wet dream. There are several farms selling shares, and we easily found one close to us. Skyroot Farm.
My husband and I are getting more and more particular with our choices these days. We have slowly eliminated most plastic from our diet and from shopping. We are trying to grow some of our food ourselves in a garden. I specifically chose seeds over plant starts because the seed packets were in paper, and the starts were in plastic containers. We chose our farm share for the same reasons. Something that will nourish us, and have a positive impact on the planet.
We love the farm share aspect of CSAs because we get to know the farm and the people who grow our food. Here on Whidbey Island, farmers welcome their customers to tour their farm, learn about the produce, when things grow and why they are planted. They encourage us to be engaged and involved in the farm. I love that.
When I say I almost missed my chance, it’s because I almost completely forgot to sign up for Skyroot Farm until this week. It’s not super late, as we don’t receive our first share until May, but most of the time, these small farms sell out of their shares very quickly. I got lucky. When I contacted Skyroot, they were happy to answer all my questions and let me know they would be happy to include me in their network.
Personally, I like to support small local businesses, and it doesn’t get more down to earth than farm-shares. Local farms cut our carbon footprint drastically. We aren’t using up as many fossil fuels buying out of season fruits and veggies from far off places.
Seasonally fresh produce tastes better, too. I always loved apples before moving to Washington, but since our move to the Northwest, I REALLY LOVE apples. And not just anytime. I love apples in the fall. I love cherries and strawberries in the summer. And don’t get me started on zucchini (in the summer). I feel like Bubba Gump when naming all the great things I can do with zucchini in the summer, and winter squashes like pumpkin in the fall.
Farm shares aren’t exactly cheap. For the 28-week season, it costs over $700. But it is usually more than worth the price. Our food is healthier, organic, local, and supporting a great cause. It is the epitome of Eating Green with ZooFit. When we invest in our diet, taking more care and choosing our foods, we will tend to spend a little more on it. But in the long run, that money you spend on good healthy food is significantly cheaper than medical bills for diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. ZooFit loves working out, but we need to take care what we put in our bodies as well. Check out your local farms today and see if they have any offerings to include you in their produce. And give them a giant hug.
Eat clean. Live green. Train positive.