Yesterday, I picked up our first Fair Shares CCSA share of the season; call me silly, but it was an exciting moment for me!

Fair Shares is a combined CSA. What is a CSA, you ask?

CSA stands for community-supported agriculture. In a traditional CSA, subscribers buy “shares” to one local farm in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and the farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as the satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

In a combined CSA, subscribers buy a share from the CSA operator, who then distributes those funds to a variety of local farmers and food producers. CSA members still receive all of the positive benefits above, while supporting a number of local farmers and producers.

So, what was in our first share? Here you go …

• American Grass Fed Ground Beef (Doniphan, MO)
• Our Garden Butter (New Florence, MO)
• Dry Dock Farms Cherry Belle Radishes and Rainbow Swiss Chard (Silex, MO)
• Claverach Farm and Vineyard Sunflower Sprouts (Eureka, MO)
• Yellow Wood Farm Lettuce Mix (Hermann, MO)
• Eilerman Brothers Orchards and Farm Asparagus (Batchtown, IL)
• Fromage LLC Private Recipe Cheddar and Blue Cheese Spread (St. Albans, MO)
• Sappington Farmers Market Honey Roasted Peanut Butter (St. Louis, MO)
• San Luis Tortilla Company Blue Corn and Flour Tortillas (St. Louis, MO)
• Hilty’s Bee Yards Egg Noodles and Strawberry Honey (Bowling Green, MO)
• Billy Goat Chip Company Potato Chips (St. Louis, MO)

The blue corn tortillas from San Luis Tortilla Company were not part of our original share list, but we chose to swap some Missouri Grain Project wheat berries (Auxvasse, MO) for them … only because we alreday have a big jar of said wheat berries at home!. In addition, I also picked some extra items, including a big jar of sweet dill pickles also from Hilty’s Bee Yards (ie, the best pickles in the world!) and some frozen spinach ravioli stuffed with duck (yes, I said duck!) from Mangia (St. Louis, MO).

I can’t wait to begin cooking with the bounty of food I received … and I am so happy that we are once again members of Fair Shares!