Brown Cow
Creamery
Artisan colby and cheddar cheeses From local grassfed cows
Kevin & Laurie Savage & Family 23301 Mount Ephraim Road Dickerson , MD 20842 savagehomestead @ gmail . com savage-acres-farm . myshopify . com
Projected opening ~ Friday June 10
19415 Peach Tree Road Dickerson , MD 20842 kingsburyorchard . com 301-972-8755 row of just-about-to-bloom flowers overnight , aphids can render a crop unsellable , and a late freeze or windstorm can wipe out months of hard work . Each year is different , with its own set of challenges . Our experience has given us the gift of knowing what to plant and when , how to protect our crops properly , and when to just roll with what ’ s being thrown at us .”
Ryan of Common Root Farm adds that after four years “ we have learned that our relationship with nature is wonderful , yet very unpredictable , and learning to lessen attachment to predicted outcome , yields beautiful results in our personal lives .”
Is a CSA for everyone ? No , in the interest of really enjoying the experience you have to know that a CSA is a commitment for a number of months to pick up or have delivered the box , and eat or cook and eat its contents . So , if you are not planning to cook — or learn to cook — at least 3 nights a week , a CSA may not for you . You might solve this by splitting the CSA with a friend . Said friend can also split the pick-up duties .
For those who may be willing to take on the challenge and reap the rewards but are still on the fence , let ’ s debunk a few myths .
Myth 1 : “ I don ’ t want to have to drive out of the way , have no choice of what I get , or just eat vegetables .”
There are as many types of CSA as there are farms . There are farms for those looking to pitch in and work or those that just want the box to show up . There are farms with big shares , small shares , egg shares , meat shares , flower shares .... check the CSA listing to find one that ’ s right for you . If you have questions , just ask the farmer .
Myth 2 : “ CSAs are expensive ”
CSAs are actually a pretty inexpensive way to get really high-quality , longer lasting produce and other farm products , such as eggs and fresh flowers . The difference is between $ 15-20 per week , but you get much more and higher quality for your money . The balance of the cost is usually due at one time , generally at the beginning of growing season , but a number of farms now split up registration costs . And we won ’ t opine here about the high cost to the environment of long distance mass produced food .
Myth 3 : “ There ’ s no way my kid will eat
( beets , chard , brussels sprouts , you name it ...! ).”
Give them a chance . It ’ s said that a new food can be introduced 15 times before a kid will try it . New findings are coming out about involving kids in growing and preparing food more and the increased healthy eating that results . This is the reason school gardens are so important for our youngest eaters . The dinner rush is often a crazed time but knowing the farmer and being involved is now even more critical for kids than grown-ups . Community Supported Agriculture cultivates a brilliant connection between consumer and producer … and binds both with the land that sustains us all .
Caroline Taylor and Kristina Bostick are the crew at Montgomery Countryside Alliance . www . mocoalliance . com