Green Living

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?  According to Shoshana Raskas, the CSA Coordinator at Tierra Miguel, it’s a partnership between eaters and growers in which consumers get to “join in both the risks and abundance of farming.” CSAs allow you to support one farm in particular, tying you to the people, produce and pulse of that particular place.

Approaching its first decade, the Tierra Miguel Foundation CSA in San Diego County considers itself a demonstration farm first.  All the proceeds it gets from its CSA program go toward its mission of creating and teaching sustainable, organic, biodynamic agriculture.  That’s right, its farmers are working with, not against nature, using herbal teas to nourish the soil, phasing out fertilizer in favor of their own compost, conserving water and rotating crops so that after corn depletes the nitrogen in the soil, green beans come in and put it back.

Here’s how you can join the good work Tierra Miguel is doing. First, you simply make a pledge of support. Then, you start getting boxes of fresh, delightful produce that you pick up from one of the 11 or so sites in greater L.A. two to four times a month. Tierra Miguel limits itself to a sustainable 100-mile radius-much closer than the thousand or so miles most produce items travel to get to an American’s plate.

The day I talked to Shoshana, the boxes were filled with mizuna (a Japanese green), arugula, beans, cherry tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots, watermelon radish, basil, cucumbers and parsley-a delightfully nutritious, tasty mix.

Supporting Tierra Miguel also helps them develop their educational programs.  It’s already engaging in Farm to School in San Diego, providing freshly picked produce to improve students’ diets and bring agro awareness through curriculum, fieldtrips and the building of an education garden where youngsters can learn firsthand how Mother Nature works her magic.

Make a pledge for this growing season or visit Tierra Miguel’s once a month open house and potluck to get a taste first.

You can contact Tierra Miguel at P.O. Box 1065, Pauma Valley, CA 92061. Phone: (760) 742-4213. Web: www.tierramiguelfarm.org.

Tags: biodynamic farming, community supported agriculture, CSA Los Angeles, Farm to School, Los Angeles farms, produce delivery, San Diego farms, sustainable farms California, Tierra Miguel