How do you feel about the food you put into your mouth? Does it conjure up images of the farmers who grew it or the region in which it came from, or are you more interested in the convenience factor of eating something as quickly as you can? Neither choice is inherently right or wrong, nor are they mutually exclusive.

Community Support Agriculture, or CSA's, can help change your relationship with the food you consume. It can be cost-effective and also help save time when it comes to the dreaded question of "what do we have to eat?!" CSA's can also help the people growing it by giving them more stability and security in a time when small and medium-sized farms are facing extreme difficulty in sustaining themselves.

In today's episode, we talk with Small Farm Central's Simon Huntley about his involvement in the local farming scene, how he marries his passion for local farming and technology, as well as the benefits of participating in CSA programs for the farmers and the eaters.

What about you?

Are you a fan of CSA's? If not, is sourcing foods from local farms, butchers, and growers an important part of your meal plan?   

Topics Discussed:

• Setting the stage for Episode #13
• Simon Huntley's background and history with farming and technology
• How Simon first learned about CSA's
• Limitations when it comes to CSA boxes
• Importance of education when it comes to CSA programs
• The evolution of CSA's
• Balancing convenience with supporting local farmers
• Building meaning into our food
• Working together in the local food system
• How CSA's support farmers and create stability for farmers
• The cost associated with growing food
• How Simon supports farmers through Small Farm Central
• Current projects for Simon and Small Farm Central
• The reasons why CSA growth has slowed down
• Simon's personal food philosophy
• Substitution style cooking versus strict adherence to recipes
• How to get more involved in the local food movement

Resource Links:

• WWOOF –  (AKA WWOOFing) Willing Workers on Organic Farms or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
• Palisades Peach Festival in Colorado
• Small Farm Central of Facebook 
• Small Farm Central on Twitter 
• More information about CSA Day 
• PASA (aka Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture)

  Hit us up:

• Twitter: @nandfpodcast and #nandfpodcast
• Facebook: nourishandflourishpodcast
• Email: [email protected]