In general, most people know the benefits of being a member of a CSA farm, such as fresh produce on a regular basis, to getting to know your farmer and knowing where your food comes from. For us, there were more unexpected benefits. We didn't have to make as many weekly trips to the grocery store all summer (awesome!), we had no choice but to eat healthier because whenever we opened the fridge there was always an array of veggies and fruits waiting. Meal planning also became a lot easier because the ingredients for our next dinner were already on-hand.

And now, even in the winter months, our CSA box has kept on giving. We received some good tips from friends who have been CSA subscribers for a while on how to store our summertime bounty. Last summer we roasted tomatoes for a homemade tomato sauce, which we froze. We had fun making our sauces because we tried different combinations of veggies and herbs, along with the tomatoes -- whatever was in our box that week. We're now enjoying our summer tomatoes in chili and pasta dishes this winter. In addition, I found a way to make extra spinach and arugula from the summer last. After blanching and freezing, these greens have made a welcome addition to my berry smoothies lately.

Being a subscriber also means we made a commitment to our farmer. I come from a long line of farmers in my family, so it felt especially good to join a CSA and let our farmers know we were going to support them in their efforts.

Being a CSA subscriber does take commitment. From picking up our box every week, to finding ways to eat or store the food that comes in the box before it goes bad. Just like those magazines you subscribe to, your CSA box will keep showing up.

There are many options with CSA subscriptions: you can decide how much healthy food to get and how often you would like it. The Local Farmer Open House offers a fantastic opportunity to meet with and talk to CSA farmers and find the farm that is right for you.

We did not hesitate when deciding whether to become subscribers to a CSA farm again this year. We even signed up early to take advantage of a discount and to make sure we got a spot on our farmers' roster.

Of all of the subscriptions we have, our subscription to a CSA farm brings the biggest benefit and connects us to the larger world in a way even our subscription for internet service never will.

Want to get your food fresh from a CSA?

Come to our Local Farmer Open House on Saturday, March 7th at our Riverside Park branch. Meet and sign up with farmers, learn how you can join a CSA farm (purchase a share of the harvest) and get a box of fresh produce each week during the season. Join us for this free event!

 This blog post was written by Theresa Lins. Theresa is a Milwaukee-based writer and Urban Ecology Center “groupie”.  She has been active in promoting the Center and its programs for over 14 years. Other than eating farm-fresh food, her favorite thing is to write about it and the people who produce it.