10 Reasons to Join the CSA:
1. Freshness: Produce is harvested within a day or two of when you receive it! It travels max of 200 miles. Compare this to produce in conventional grocery stores which travels over 1500 miles, over the period of a week to sit on grocery store shelves.
2. Taste: Freshly picked, ripe produce tastes better. Our farmers also grow heirloom vegetables chosen for taste rather than shelf life.
3. Seasonal: CSA participants receive whatever produce is seasonally available. Seasonal produce tastes better, stays fresh longer, and is better for you.
4. Nutrition: produce loses nutrients quickly. Studies have shown that vegetables frozen right after harvest have more nutrients than “fresh” produce that has been on a shipping truck for a week!
5. Variety: Our farmers grow over 70 different vegetables, herbs, and citrus each season. The farmers are dedicated to growing native and heirloom crops—preserving biodiversity and providing an interesting variety of vegetables for CSAers.
6. Economics: CSA produce can be cheaper and we pay the farmer directly. By supporting local foods, we also support regional economic security—our dollars stay in our community.
7. Food security: CSA participants know where our food comes from and what goes into it..
8. Community: CSA not only fosters a connection between the Flagstaff community and our local farmer—it strengthens the Flagstaff community.
9. Energy Conservation: CSA vegetables are produced only 150-350-miles away, versus 1500 miles, the average distance your grocery store produce travels. Vegetables are also produced sustainably—in harmony with the land—with fewer chemicals and machines, further cutting down the use of fossil fuels.
10. Sustainable Future: CSA participants keep farmers on the land, local food in our community, and ensure future generations have access to local, healthy food. Most importantly, the FCSA brings people together in kitchens and over delicious meals every day!