There are several benefits to getting your food from a CSA.

It enables you to eat locally every week. Shortening the distance from farm to fork puts money in our local economy, reduces the consumption of fossil fuels expended in costly food transportation, and reacquaints us with the seasons and rhythms of the earth – if you’re buying blueberries from Safeway in January, they ain’t from Oregon!

It inspires creativity. Did you see kohlrabi on an episode of Top Chef but opted for your standard broccoli in grocery aisle game time decision? Joining a CSA is the tough (ish) love you need to get out of your meal routines. You will receive a stunning variety weekly that will encourage creativity in the kitchen. Weekly e-newsletters to CSA participants will let you know what’s coming in advance so you can prep accordingly. You will also find recipe cards and vegetable tips and tricks in your box to help you get the most out of your share.

It allows you to “live” your values. If you find yourself thinking about where your food comes from and how it is grown; if you mull over the who is growing it and how they are treated; if you wrestle with the environmental and health costs of food that you worry isn’t all that healthy; if you are committed to feeding yourself and your family food that is free of chemicals, grown in a way that replenishes the soil, and is harvested by people who are fulfilling their dreams – then this CSA is for you.

It is high quality food grown using sustainable methods. Gales Meadow Farm has been certified Organic since 2001, and only organic methods have been used there since 1991. Our farming practices build the soil and provide habitat for wildlife including native plants, insects, birds, and microbes. We use crop rotation, cover crops, and compost, place high value on crop diversity, use only natural soil amendments, and have not used any pesticide sprays, even those permissible for Organic farmers, for many years. Because our farm is so close to Portland, we don’t have to worry about shipping durability or long shelf life for our produce. Rather, we get to select varieties for culinary value. And you get to anticipate having some of our 50 tomato varieties that will be picked at their prime in the afternoon and be on your plate between leaves of tender basil by dinnertime.