Our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), The Little Farm in Gilbert is back on for another season of locally grown, pesticide- and chemical-free veggies, and eggs from some of the happiest chickens you could meet. I delivered 80 pounds of apples from Brown’s Orchard and the chickens followed me back and forth waiting for those yummy apples to be thrown their way. Lauren told me just how smart these chickens are, they will take a nibble of the apples and then wait a few days for them to attract insects, when loaded with extra critters the chickens return for a scrumptious feast only a chicken could love. Rosey, the pot-bellied pig took time off from her ankle cuddling routine to indulge herself on a handful of fat apples I delivered her way. Lucky me even got to pick up my first share of the season today which included butternut squash, pear’s, eggplant, basil, chard, arugula, and my favorite, Tokyo Bekana – a mild mustard green that is great in salads. And finally, from the girls above, a dozen fresh eggs scooped up just before my arrival.

Visited the Little Farm in Gilbert today. You may have read about this place on my website before as I do on occasion write about the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) service that Caroline and I subscribe to. Well, I finally made my way out to Gilbert, Arizona, to visit the farm and to see where our bag of fresh organic veggies comes from. I had the chance to meet Lauren, who showed me around and introduced me to the animals. What a bunch of great characters! Especially the pot-bellied pig who nudged me about, looking for apples or any other treats I might have for her. I will be posting a more in-depth article about the farm on my other site www.happybumblebee.com

This bowl of fruit, vegetables, and herbs is a sampling of our first delivery of an expected total of thirty-one from the Little Farm in Gilbert. The Little Farm in Gilbert is a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture operation that, through word of mouth, attracts subscribers who pay $16 a week to receive varying selections of fresh foods depending on what is coming in from October 26 through June 7, 2006. Today’s bag included two ears of corn, six Japanese eggplants, three peppers, six pears, a bunch of carrots, approximately a pound each of lettuce and spinach, and a healthy portion of sweetly aromatic basil.

For the next 30 deliveries, we can look forward to locally grown pesticide-free fresh radishes, turnips, Chinese cabbage, garlic, turnips, kohlrabi, onions, lemons, pak choi, parsley, cauliflower, snow peas, beets, escarole, fennel, asparagus, chard, broccoli, arugula, sorrel, cucumbers, squash, and sage in addition to the items in today’s shipment. Tomatoes and beans have been scratched from the list because the crop didn’t make it – a risk of pesticide-free farming. No matter, though; the rest looks great, and wow, how nice it is to buy veggies that actually have a smell to them.