After scrolling through my Instagram feed, reminiscing through past memories, I stumbled upon my beloved #farmboxgoodies. What are "#farmboxgoodies"?, you might ask. They were my beautiful, colorful creations I used to make when I was getting a farm box back in the day ( 7 months ago) when I lived with my best friend in Carpinteria. You probably can figure out what a farm box is, but I'm going to explain anyway.
A farm box is a weekly delivered crate of locally-grown farm, fresh vegetables and produce. They're a complete bargain and a great way to shop locally, if you can't make it to your local farmers' market each week.
My reconnection with this lost love immediately got me searching for ways to get a farm box here in San Luis. I asked a friend about it and she led me straight to the source. I signed up and received my first box all in the same week.
Twenty-six dollars later and I had an overflowing farm box in my home complete with: a generous bag of Cherry Tomatoes, a bunch of Green Kale, 4 ears of Corn, a bag of Brussels Sprouts, 6 Gold Beets, a head of Red-Leaf Lettuce, a bundle of Orange Carrots, a hefty bag of Seedless Red Grapes, a Basil Plant, a bunch of Cilantro, and 2 large Heirloom Tomatoes
I currently get my box from Talley Farms (located in Arroyo Grande). They deliver to AG, Atascadero, Avila Valley, Cambria, Grover Beach, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, SLO, Santa Maria, Santa Margarita, and Templeton.
Farm Boxes are also known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). They're a great way for people to buy seasonal food straight from their local farmer. Here's a quote straight from the Talley Farms website:
CSA brings farmers and the community together, sharing the fresh foods they harvest. When local consumers buy from local farmers, they: Support the farm directly, Eliminate the middle man, Reduce packaging and carbon footprint, Receive fresh, nutritious locally grown foods, and Support their local community.
If just one farm can reach that many cities, I'm sure there is a farm near you that can give you the opportunity to get your very own farm box. I hope you are considering looking into this. If you need a little encouragement here are my 5 Reasons Why You Should Get A Farm Box:
- It supports local farmers
- It forces you to branch-out and eat different vegetables
- It gives you a reason to try out new recipes
- It increases your weekly vegetable intake
- It makes grocery shopping easier
How do you get one?
Just type "farm box delivery in (your city)" into the Google search bar and you're ready to go. If you live in a town with a farm, or near a town with a farm, there's a great chance that you can get on board and start creating your very own Farm Box Goodies.
Happy Searching!