"Meet Your Farmer" article in Register

There was an interesting article yesterday in the Des Moines Register about Community-supported Agriculture.

Community-supported agriculture — CSA for short — allows customers to buy directly from farms through a weekly or biweekly delivery of produce, typically through a subscription.

For the fast-growing community of CSA subscribers, knowing the people who grow your vegetables and being familiar with their often "natural’’ farming practices is reason in itself to join. But many CSAs add services to draw customers, such as farm outings or a bouquet of flowers with shipments in growing season. In the Bhramdats’ operation, L.T. Organic Farms, part of the lure is weekly dinners and lessons in cooking and nutrition.

I think this is very interesting and would definitly sign up if there was one in my area. Added to the organic and health benefits, it would be a great boast to Iowa's economy.

"What we're really interested in is looking at sustainable living skills, and one basis for that is where your food comes from and developing a greater connection between people and the land," said Jan Libbey, who runs the farm with her husband, Tim Landgraf, and the help of their two children.

"This is the first step."

After members sign up, they get a "handbook" about the CSA. With each delivery of vegetables, there's a note included about the produce and what's going on at the farm. And once a year, they hold a field day, so people can visit and explore the farm.

It was brought to my attention that shopping at Farmer's Markets is basically the same thing and you get to pick the items you want. Both farmer's market and CSA's sound like a good thing for Iowa. Pick whatever one best fits your needs.