My Leap Into Organics & CSA

Yesterday I received my first box of organic fruits and vegetables from Boxed Organics, a local Community Sourced Agriculture (CSA) business. Everything is locally sourced so it's as fresh as can be.

Our first box - standard share size

If you've been following my blog and Twitter, you know that I've recently been reading plenty about the environment, climate change, and how to make life better in general. You'd also know that I've been fairly particular about what I eat and have been exercising regularly as part of my promise to myself to affect change at a personal level.

CSA is not a new concept to me. I've known about it ever since my cousin first started participating in the community, but I wasn't conscious (environmentally, physically, mentally) enough to join. From the 6 months abroad with my wife, I learned a lot about my body and really figured out and understood how it functions. I know how my metabolism is affected by certain things I eat. And I have a better understanding of what my body can tolerate and what is easier to digest.

Since we came back from our travels, I've paid plenty of attention to what I've been consuming. If I buy processed foods (peanut butter, jam, pasta, tomato sauce, guacamole, hummus, etc.), I've been sure to buy the organic versions. Carbohydrates have been really limited, and if I do consume them, they are usually whole wheat. My fruit consumption has been modified to try to get more nutritional value from them. So I've been eating apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and occasionally some mandarins. As for vegetables, I've increased my intake in general. Carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, eggplant, and a couple of others occasionally make the list. But with the fruits and vegetables, I was never sure if they were organic, nor did I know where they came from.

So naturally, the next step to improving my health was to move towards organic fruits and vegetables. But not only does it help me and my diet, it also helps local farmers and the environment. It is another step in helping reduce our carbon footprint. Check out Boxed Organics 10 Reasons Why for just a snapshot at how simple participation in this community based effort and movement can change your life and the lives of others as well as the planet.

So what did I get? This week's box included:

• Yellow onions
• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Romaine lettuce
• Green Bell peppers
• Acorn squash
• Gold potatoes
• Gala apples
• Bosc pears
• Hardy kiwi berries

And to top it off, I get an email with some really helpful recipes using some of the ingredients that were included in the box.

The biggest surprise to me from this box was the kiwi berries! I had never even heard of this fruit before so that was already a shock. But the taste was the kicker. It's a sweet juicy kiwi explosion from a tiny grape/berry-sized fruit. At first look I thought it might be sour or tart, but I was certainly mistaken. What a beautiful new little fruit I've just learned about.

Overall, what I'm mostly looking forward to in the short-term is tasting the difference in fresh produce and trying a variety of things I normally would not buy in the market myself (ie. acorn squash, potatoes, kiwi berries). And I know that in the long run I am benefiting from the improved nutrition and contributing to the local social and economic impact that being green and going organic has on a community.

Will you go organic? (594)