Hello from the farm! Lucie here. We just wrapped up an exciting weekend full of fresh produce, happy customers, and some CSA action. It always seems as if everyone is in a good mood when they step foot on the farm and suddenly become apart of something greater. People were so excited about the new bright-red sour cherries and sweet corn hailing from Samascott Orchard in Kinderhook, NY. Whether at the CSA drop-off or in our market, I love hearing about what our community members do with their produce. One of you recommended using the cherries to make a Hungarian cold sour cherry soup, and I also learned that many of you whip up pesto with your garlic scapes – the more you know!
Produce from this week’s CSA share
Having these lovely interactions with customers has been such a rewarding aspect of working within a community-based food system. This past year at school, I first learned about economies of community and community-supported agriculture systems. By subscribing to a CSA, for instance, a consumer is subscribing to a mutual relationship with their farmer, or network of farms, and therefore upholding a community-oriented food system within a local area. The same principle applies to operations like food co-ops, which are grocery stores or food distribution cooperatives owned by its shoppers. Idyllic as they are, local food systems have to work against a much larger global food system and supply chain that with which we see on a daily basis. Between unsustainable agricultural practices, food waste and apartheid, and lack of compensation for farmers, the U.S. food system is rifed with inequities. Food is tied to sustenance, but also wealth, privilege, access, and so much more.
Our partnering farms in the local Hudson Valley area
Though deconstructing these inequities within a global food system goes well beyond our personal responsibilities, we appreciate each and every way that our community members advocate for sustainable farming practices and local food systems by supporting farms like Fable. You might notice that our market features produce and grocery items from nearby farms or small businesses. Each company with which we collaborate holds our same vision of preserving our land, our community, and our people within the food systems we create. A great deal of research and communication goes into the relationships we build with these neighboring businesses so that we ensure quality and care come first.
People feel better when they know their food and their farmer. Don’t be afraid to get to know the people who grow, distribute, sell, and cook the food on your plate!