Thoughts of a Non-Foodie CSA Member By Greg Halzen

Thoughts of a Non-Foodie CSA Member 

By Greg Halzen

I'm not sure if anyone here can relate, but just in case I want to share some thoughts… as a non-foodie CSA member. 

Sometimes I get the sense that CSA membership is for foodies. Of course there is a spectrum of folks with food appreciation and recipe curiosity, but I am really not a foodie, and that is OK. 

On one hand, I am the type of person who is content making one simple dish in a large quantity and eating it for dinners all week with other meals of peanut butter sandwiches, cereal, and fruit the rest if the time. Food is really just fuel to me. I eat when I am hungry. This part of me is a lot like one of my parents.

Another part of my food personality is that my mother, a nurse, raised me to somehow feel the difference in my body if I didn't get a balance diet across food groups. I like raw veggies and fruits.

So as it turns out, the CSA fruits and veggies fit for me. I love being part of our CSA and this is my family's second year giving it a go. 

Week by week, our habits have changed slightly in a few ways. We now have a marker board on the refrigerator that lists the vegetable inventory. The list gets updated as we eat and cook. In addition, 2-3 evenings a week include a recipe with the majority of the farm fresh stuff. Admittedly, this is where my partner's curiosities kick in, but I have also had fun roasting beets and pulling out the salad spinner for our 5-year-old to go crazy with to prep a summer salad. Finally, we have shifted schedukes a bit to put in the 6 hours of volunteer time. This effort has been most meaningful for our kid who has started connecting personally to neighborhood gardens we see all over the city. 

I don't believe I will convert to being a foodie. But maybe this CSA membership has some pleasant surprises about how it connects with the food ways my parents taught me. Maybe these new routines have me connecting to food in new ways.

 

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA?  Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html