Box Schemes

As I’ve mentioned before, we get a weekly box of produce, most of which comes from local farms. When I lived in Cali, I didn’t bother because there were farmers’ markets everywhere year round. In London, the markets here aren’t as prolific or convenient to me, so I looked into the box scheme. 

Here they are usually referred to as “veg box schemes” which is one of few phrases that beats what we say at home: “CSA boxes.”  CSA stands for “community supported agriculture” which has the dual advantage of sounding unduly self-righteous and having an acronym that only the initiated know, thus virtually guaranteeing that such boxes will never become widely accepted despite all their advantages.

Turns out, in spite of California’s crunchy reputation, the UK is way ahead in its box schemes. After searching online for a box to come to my house, I found I had a choice of at least 5 different companies that would deliver to my area. Also, since it’s hardly ever warm enough for anything here to wilt, they can deliver the box in the morning and it doesn’t matter when I get home – the food is still fine.  For those things that could go bad, they’ve come up with some innovative packing materials involving wool and who knows what else that keep my precious produce perky. They’ll also deliver meat, dairy, pretty much anything.

 

This is a far cry from the scheme some of my LA co-workers participated in for a time.  When the farm was experiencing “growing pains” my co-workers were subject to bags of wilted produce that included things like nettles and other items intended for witches’ cauldrons.  Though to be fair, these schemes have grown quite a bit in the last couple of years and LA is no exception.  Check out a recent list here if you’re there.

So what are the advantages?  Back to the self-righteous bit, which is actually kind of neat. By purchasing produce from such a company, the large supermarket giants are cut out. This means more money goes directly to the farmer, keeping smaller farms in business, and the food is local (here in the UK they do supplement with foreign food or we’d all starve in the month of May, but they try to cut down on food miles even with these imports).

And speaking of food miles, I find it baffling that me being lazy (having food brought to my door) is actually good for the environment (food isn’t trucked all over before maybe finding a home). Unfortunately, doorstep delivery is not an option with all programs, particularly in sprawly places like LA, but the food miles are still trimmed without the middle-man.

The more satisfying advantage I’ve found, however, is relearning the connection to the seasons and the place.  Growing up in California, part of the reason I so enjoyed the farmers’ market is sometimes, the produce in the market was the only sign as to what season it was. Diet should change with the seasons. Just as we turn our ovens on in the winter and our grills on in the summer, the food we eat should change too.

Now that I'm London, having the box delivered has forced me to try some of those root vegetables (swede, parsnips) and summer berries (gooseberries, currants) that I had never seen before.  It’s a way of getting to know this place.

Finally, there’s the adventure. If you find yourself cooking the same things over and over, that will change if you join one of these schemes. In fact, sometimes I have trouble identifying what arrived (celeriac?) which adds to the fun.  Most delivery companies are well aware of this and tend to provide preparation tips, suggestions, and recipes. Your cooking will grow.  You will eat your veggies.  When all else fails, make soup.

Are there downsides?  Sure.  I get tired of cabbage.  But then I get tired of running too and apparently that’s good for me.

Here are some links to help with the search:

This site will help you find your local (UK) scheme and has recipes for the things that arrive.

This site will help you find what’s local in the US and has other fun info such as farms you can visit.

A mini fruit & veg box: spinach, squash, onions, potatoes, plums, pears, carrots, and apples.

Next up - some simple soups to use up those veggies.