SUPPORT LOCAL AND SUPPORT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Our family farm in Paulden, just north of Prescott, has been growing high quality vegetables and flowers for the last 20 years. You can find us year-round at the Prescott Farmers Market. But today I would like to introduce you to a new idea of how to support a local farm while getting amazingly fresh, local products into your kitchen. I will show you how you can make changes to your lifestyle that will improve your health.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA is a great way for people who believe in real food to support a farm, try new things and support a healthy lifestyle. Getting food from a CSA is different than going to a farmers market or using a grocery delivery service. As a CSA member, you make a seasonal commitment to a farm in your area, and the produce is picked up weekly at a central location. CSA members take pleasure in knowing where and how their food is grown and have an open line of communication with their farmer.
How it works
CSA shares are grown, harvested and delivered especially for the members. They offer a variety of what is in season each week. You get the freshest produce and it is grown without chemicals. That also means you don’t get a lot of choice. You have to be open to trying new things and be willing to go with the flow of what is seasonally available. That can be a bit of a hard sell in this day and age of unlimited choice. But it is a great value and the quality is unsurpassed. Do you remember what a vine-ripened tomato tastes like? Have you had a carrot so sweet it’s better than candy? 
Our CSA masters, the ones who sign up year after year, and the ones who prefer the CSA model to other ways of purchasing local food, like the fact the CSA pushes them to eat in a healthier way. We all know that getting more vegetables in our diet is about the best thing we can do for our health – the fresher the better, and the more variety the better. And when the vegetables keep coming each week, you learn to keep up. There is an incentive to become a better cook, eat out less and to cherish the absolute best-tasting produce while it is here, because some varieties have a fleeting season. 
Hopefully I have piqued your interest and you want to know more about how this program works. CSA starts May 1, and you don’t want to miss out! For more details check out our website whipstone.com/csa and take our quiz “Is CSA right for me?” 
Japanese Turnip Salad Recipe
These turnips are sweet, crunchy, juicy and best eaten raw. You won’t find these turnips in the grocery store. Their peak season is spring and early summer – April/May/June. Find the recipe on our website at Whipstone.com