Jordana Gotlieb
Staff Writer
The Yozma Greening Group initiated the Community Support Agriculture (CSA) in February 2013 in order to provide delicious boxes of fruits and vegetables to our community.
The CSA program encourages community members to keep in-sync with the seasonal food cycles and appreciate natural, healthy food. Its mission is to promote environmental education, social action and nutrition and health advocacy. The program connects the Milken community with local farmers while teaching students what crops are harvested right here in California. It is currently led by Alison Rollman ‘14, Shauna Shafai ‘14 and Ms. Elizabeth Kattler, Jewish Studies teacher.
CSA provides the Milken community with opportunities to receive weekly or bi-weekly boxes of organic fresh fruits and veggies from local farms. The boxes are offered in various sizes to accommodate different family needs. One of the popular sizes is Fruit Lovers, which includes 15 pounds of 8-12 varieties of fruit for only $45. In addition to the boxes of organic produce, students also receive weekly newsletters filled with healthy recipes that creatively use the fresh fruits and veggies in new and exciting dishes.
“We are trying to create a culture in our Milken community that values organic, sustainable food while supporting those who don’t have access to fresh food,” Kattler said.
The CSA is not unique to Milken, with programs all over the world. The CSA’s overall popularity is steadily increasing as people place more emphasis on healthier bodies and a healthier environment. Many are opening their eyes to the use of pesticides and other pollutants in food sources and are taking a more active approach to knowing what they put in their mouths.
It has been just over a month since the program’s initiation on February 11, and community interest is steadily on the rise.
“Although the number of participating families is still small, we have heard nothing but positive feedback and are looking forward to the continued growth of the program,” Rollman said.
For more information on how to join go to goodlifeorganics.org