Subscribing to vegetables adds diversity to the menu

For some families, acquiring to a "community supported agriculture" membership gets children more interested in vegetables, reported Debbie Carlson in the Chicago Tribune this week.

"We've heard some people say when the box gets delivered, it's almost like Christmas. The kids unpack it and they get very excited," Ryan Galt, professor in the Department of Human and Community Development at UC Davis.

But subscribers should understand being a member of a CSA is not the same as going to the grocery store for their produce. Some suggestions from the experts:

• Be aware there's more growing on vegetable farms than just carrots and potatoes
• Be willing to take risks in the kitchen
• Take time to research recipes and to cook
• Because some farmers need up-front money to start the season, you may have to pay a substantial sum before receiving produce
• Food is provided strictly in season for the farm, so don't expect asparagus in September

Galt said it's also worth asking how the farm is doing financially for committing to the CSA.

"It's hard to ask because it's not a normal conversation topic in the U.S.," he said, adding that the point of CSAs in the beginning was the community figuring out how to help small farmers survive. "Farming is extremely difficult on all ends."

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