Friday, June 22, 2007

What's in your kitchen?

As many of you know, Chad and I bought a subscription to a local farm for the season. Community Supported Agriculture is a relatively new thing with many potential benefits. Most importantly for us, it offers a great way to support local farmers. We paid upfront for 24 weeks of produce and pick up the goods weekly. So far, it's been AMAZING. The vegetables, meat, and eggs are so much fresher than what we can pick up at the grocery store. Plus we're having lots of fun experimenting with new foods.

"Our" farm is Brinkley Farms in Creedmoor, NC. They deliver to Duke Gardens once a week along with some other farms in the area so that's how we learned about them. The CSA we joined allows members to submit their "grocery lists" each week so we don't just get whatever they pick out for us. So, we're still eating locally grown produce (thus eating in-season), but we get to choose from what's available. One of our favorite new foods so far is kale. It's delicious! We've also tried turnips, kolrabi, and bok choy.

So, I guess a bit of a warning to all those who might visit us or be visited by us is in order: we might share our newfound love of whole foods with you so watch out. On my recent trip to GA and AL, I carried two loaves of zucchini bread and zucchini brownies. Both recipients of the bread said it was very good, however (and one of those was Melissa who we all know is just a wee bit picky :-)).

Want to learn more about CSA or to find out if there are some near you? The USDA has some good information available. Other ways to support local agriculture and get in tune with our call as Christians to be good stewards of the earth include: 1) buying food from a farmer's market, 2) growing some herbs and veggies of your own, 3) picking some berries at a local farm, and 4) buying and eating food that's in season. The Mennonites have a FAN-TABULOUS cookbook called Simply in Season that helps those of us trying to make changes who don't really know where to start. We're loving it.

Taking care of the earth and thinking more carefully about food and where it comes from is somthing I've been thinking about a great deal off and on since entering divinity school in 2002. It feels good to finally be taking some steps and putting my money where my mouth is. I care about the environment because it is the Lord's creation. And I care about my body because it is the Lord's temple. I'm trying to make sure that my decisions reflect the fact that I care about these things.

Okay so I suppose that's enough for now. Didn't mean to get all serious, but you know me, I just can't help it. Just wanted to share my thoughts with you - my 10 faithful readers.

2 comments:

Melissa said...

You are correct. I AM picky, but I did like your bread. Unfortunately, so did my cat, Jackson. sigh. At least I got to eat the majority of it before he found it.

Marie said...

Thanks for the info Mandy...this is also something that I have been very interested in lately.

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