Living Green(ish) in the City

Hello Friends!



So, one of my favorite things about living in Philly is how crunchy it really is here.  Crunchy like granola eating, reusable tote using, only buying used materials, growing their own produce on their stoop,recycling like crazy folks who just love their Mother Earth.  Now, I am definitely not at that point yet but I have discovered a love of quinoa, and I recently found myself scoffing at the person in front of me at the grocery store using plastic bags.  One of the best ways I've found to live a little greener is opting into a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program.  Basically, you buy a share of a local farm's products for the season and every week or two you get a big box of goodies grown on the farm.  I've found that although the upfront fee is a little hard to swallow, it breaks down to about $20/week which is what we'd spend on produce anyway and holydeliciousness! is the stuff better than anything you'd buy at the Stop'n Shop!  This winter Sean and I found Greensgrow Farm in the North Philly/Fishtown area. 

It's really an incredible place with little greenhouses smattering an otherwise vacant plot of land.  In the spring and summer they even have chickens out and about!  In the winter they give produce and other treats from their own greenhouses as well as local PA and NJ farms.  Just look at the beautiful veggies even with all this snow.



bags and bags of arugula











Jerusalem Artichokes









spaghetti squash

 



dumpling squash

This week in our farm share we got lots of goodies and fresh produce:

Produce

Baby Arugula - Graiff Farms, Newfield, NJ

Asian Pears - Evergreen Farm, Hamilton Township, NJ
Sweet Potatoes - Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
Apple Preserves - Greensgrow Farms, Philadelphia, PA
Heirloom White Cornmeal - Rineer Family Farms, Pequea, PA

Cheese
Vampire Slayer - Calkins Creamery, Honesdale PA

Dairy
2 Yogurts - Pequea Valley Farms, Ronks, PA
Dozen Eggs - Sandy Ridge Farm, Elizabethtown, PA
           
Meat  (not pictured since sausages don't look pretty in photos...)
Chicken Sausages - Griggstown Quail Farm

We also picked up some rosemary which makes my kitchen smell amazing! And some potatos.  This week I'll be posting some recipes of yummy meals made with our Greensgrow CSA share, my mouth is watering already!