winterfarm
Originally uploaded by dogbreathphoto

It all comes back to a book for me. Last summer I read "Animal Vegetable Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, and started trying to find ways to eat more locally. (It should be easy in the summer, but we had rain, rain, and more rain last year, so my little backyard garden didn't work too well.) I discovered that a couple was starting a CSA (community supported agriculture) in Springfield. I was too late to sign up for the summer share, but I did get in for the winter share. My husband and I are splitting it with another couple so it doesn't cost as much and we're more likely to eat everything.

I love winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc., so I thought it would be a good way to ease into the eating local thing. I must admit… I wasn't expecting so many turnips! I'm still trying to find ways to cook them. So far, roasting a big batch of vegetables (including turnips) is my favorite.

On Monday night I attended the first CSA Core Group meeting. We're all sharers that want to take a more active role in the CSA – basically we will do more of the administrative tasks and let the farmers focus on farming. My friend Kim and I are taking on the task of starting a CSA blog! We're going to publish recipes for some of the more unusual vegetables in the share (sunchokes, anyone? more turnips?) as well as hopefully some pictures of the farm, the Millsaps and their adorable kids, and the friendliest farm dog on the planet.