THE TOPIC
Community Supported Agriculture, often shortened to CSA, is a way for communities to have access to locally grown foods in their area. They often operate with a subscription or membership. Subscribers then receive a box of fresh produce from the farm on a weekly basis. This arrangement has huge benefits for your health and fitness and it also has major added benefits to your local community and to the environment at large.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Check out www.eatwellguide.org. Using your zip-code you can search for all types of locally sustained businesses including CSAs. Find one you like and try it out.
THE REASON
There are several benefits to yourself and to the greater good that come from supporting Community Supported Agriculture.
Mini Veggie Burgers, Stone Barns, New York
1. Improved Health – One third of Americans are now considered overweight or obese. The number one factor in weight loss is diet. A CSA will deliver fresh vegetables to your door (some have a local pick-up point) on a weekly basis. You don’t have to think about what to eat, just eat it. The improved nutrition will increase your overall health and help you shed any pounds that shouldn’t be there. You’ll also discover new varieties of foods you never knew about as the contents of the box shift with the growing season.
Greenhouse, Stone Barns, New York
2. Environmental Benefit – CSAs are small, locally owned, and require only short distance shipping as compared to large scale operations. Industrial Agriculture, with inputs from pesticides, fertilizers, and long distance shipping, is one of the foremost contributors to green house gas emissions. By doing what is great for your personal health, you can also contribute in a meaningful way to environmental conservation.
3. Support the Local Economy – You’ll be putting your money into the pockets of people that live right next to you and that supply your area with food. Global scale does not always create the best economic results for the neighborhood right around the corner. Take charge of your communities prosperity and keep some of your money flowing into local business.
READ MORE
What are you waiting for, do it!!
Fitness, The Environment, and the Economy, Part 1
Growing Muscles, Growing Economies
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