Community supported agriculture

It's a few months now that we are member of a nearby CSA (community supported agriculture) farm or a self-harvest farm where we also get dairy from an associated farmer.

We don't always go as frequently but I enjoy it when we get there. The summer has been exceptional due to the heatwaves and the drought, so there's not been as much to harvest as before and the farmer sounded pretty stressed... but I have no reference to compare and I am not the biggest vegetable eater, so I am happy with what we can harvest.

I learn to understand why some people adore to garden and to work in their vegetable garden so much. I can see how it's therapeutic. But I have no green fingers, so it's rather beneficial to me to have a farmer taking care of everything and only letting me harvest what is ready.

I like to get things in all shapes without packaging and the contrast with the vegetable department in supermarkets has become so big. Everything is so sterile and boring there.  So you see I'm still enthousiastic, but of course we've only been member since it's been nice summer weather again. I'm sure my enthousiasm will decrease when it becomes cold and wet and dark outside. We'll see.

Occasionally we receive an open invitation to give a hand on the farm. Last Saturday the harvesting of potatoes was planned and we joined.  All present children were allowed to ride along on the tractor in turns to pull out the potatoes after which we all picked them up and gathered them in big harvesting boxes. A pretty cool experience for this city girl :p.