Save Money: Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Over the past 3 years, my family has slowly increased our levels of good nutritious foods and reduced our bad foods dramatically. Actually reading what is in the packaging has been commonplace for me, my wife and children. Every time we purchase something we flip it around and read the nutritional facts.

More recently, since my son has been diagnosed with sensitivity to gluten, dairy and eggs, we are more cautious in reviewing the ingredients on packaged foods. So we've been actually cooking more and going out less, because we don't know how careful restaurants can be in preparing the foods that we order and eat. We love going to WholeFoods on Saturdays knowing they have plenty of good food. A note of caution, not everything in WholeFoods is good for you, but definitely good for the soul. So eat in moderation, like anything else

With all this cooking at home, my friend suggested that we join a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture. Basically a CSA provides a great way for local growers and farmers a different outlet for its produce versus the traditional grocery store. When you purchase a share, subscription or membership you receive a box of seasonal vegetables. Some have shares of fruits. Most important, the produce is super fresh, and there for are full of flavor and vitamins. In addition, most farms are Organic. Also, you get to try vegetables that you normally won't eat. So exposure to variety is the spice to life.

My favorite so far is the heirloom tomatoes. Their funky shapes and sometimes colors might be unappealing at first, but when you bite into one, the tomato flavor is so electrifyingly delicious.

At the beginning of the season, my wife and I were unhappy with the quantity items in the box, but a couple of weeks later, I don't think we could have eaten all of the bounty. It's really worth the money for a family of 5.

There are thousands of farms that offer CSA. And here is a site that lists some of them at localharvest.org. Treat your family to the freshest foods with a Community Supported Agriculture.