So I’m always open to other ideas on how and where to get organic, locally-grown produce. The farmers’ market I go to on Saturday mornings is great (across the street from UCI); there’s a wide variety of vendors who carry a wide variety of good food. Before going back to the farmers’ market route, I had tried out Organic Express for a while and was pretty satisfied with the service. (They say 90% of their produce is from California farms.) It was very convenient since they delivered my weekly box to my office, but I figured that for the same price, I could also get some tasty bread at the farmers’ market, plus it’s nice to get outside on Saturday mornings.

These days I’m looking into Community Supported Agriculture options (or CSAs, for short). The name seems fairly self-explanatory, and I tend to think of it as some sort of farm co-op: members pay for a share of what the farm produces. In a way, some CSAs work very much like Organic Express where your weekly dues get you a box of produce, except with CSAs, you’re supporting a specific farm. As far as I know, Organic Express doesn’t share the names and locations of the farms from where they get their stuff. Not that I’ve asked, so maybe they’re willing to divulge the info.

Looking through Local Harvest’s database of CSAs, I’ve found a couple that service Orange County. One is Budwood Farms in Fallbrook, CA. These guys recently started their CSA program last year and charge $29.50 or $45 per week (small or family baskets, respectively) with a 12-week minimum commitment. Baskets are picked up from Costa Mesa on Thursdays starting at noon (though I don’t know how late they stay). They also sell at the farmers’ market in Irvine, and I’m pretty sure they’re the ones who sell the gorgeous tomatoes I have been buying.

Another option for Orange county is the Tierra Miguel Foundation from the Pauma Valley. These guys have been around since 2000 and offer many more pick-up locations across Southern California, including Costa Mesa and Newport Beach in the OC. Annual memberships will run you $1,500 (approximately $31.25 per week, payable quarterly), or you can opt for half-shares at $750 for pick-ups every other week. The thing I’m most attracted to about Tierra Miguel is that the first Saturday of each month is their Volunteer Day, meaning I can go out to their farm and get my hands dirty. Unfortunately, and this is one big reason I haven’t written them a check yet, is that their pick-up times in the OC absolutely does not work for me unless I change my work hours. Wednesdays between 11am and 4pm to either Costa Mesa or Newport from Huntington Beach? Not gonna happen.

I do plan on contacting them about possibly setting up service somewhere closer to work or home; maybe if I get enough co-workers or neighbors interested, they could add a new drop-off location. In the meantime, I guess you can still find me at the Irvine farmers’ market on Saturdays!

Filed by Maria in food, organizations