The Blog

Dan Newhouse, Director, Department of Agriculture

04/11/11

A great way to taste Washington’s freshest produce is directly from the producer through a farm-to-table program. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, allows you to purchase boxes of fruits and vegetables from growers. The produce is regularly distributed to your neighborhood or workplace throughout the growing season.

The first crops you’ll see will be salad greens, peas, radishes and green onions. I love the berries we get in mid-season. By the end of the harvest, boxes might contain squash, potatoes and garlic. Some farms offer add-ons such as flowers, cheese and other farm products.

Growers are taking orders now and start delivering in May or June. Boxes run from $18 to $38 a week. Many growers offer boxes of different sizes and can deliver every week or every other week.

CSA boxes often include newsletters of farm happenings and recipes. Some host on-farm events so you can get to know your grower.

We have a CSA drop site at the Department of Agriculture because it’s convenient, helps our employees stay healthy and builds community in our work force. Plus, we feel great about supporting our local farmers who are building sustainable agriculture businesses right in our community.

Check out www.pugetsoundfresh.org or www.localharvest.org for great options in your area. Washington Wellness, a unit in the state Health Care Authority, has created a toolkit to help employers organize CSA deliveries to their workplaces.