slide........................

That's great, Terri! I can't wait to see what you get.

Sally

Congratulations! I understand the feeling of euphoria completely. Thanks to hearing about CSAs & Michael Pollan's books on this forum, I searched out a local CSA. I bought a subscription about 2 months ago and am waiting for my first pick up day. I'll be getting mainly vegetables. You're so fortunate to be able to get fresh, local diary products.

I was also pretty excited when my local farmer's market finally started up last weekend. Along with the fruits & vegetables, local farm fresh eggs are being sold. That's something new and very welcome.

Here is a link that might be useful: Please DON'T Pass the Salt!

Terri, you are a lucky duck! I am so envious of fresh farm dairy, in glass bottles to boot! That is how I remember milk and dairy growing up in Wisconsin - we would drive to the local farms and obtain our supply on a bi-weekly basis. Thing of the past here! LOL!! Enjoy your weekly CSA basket...I would be doing back flips too!

Terri I think you're lucky, our DS is on a waiting list for a year, so far, and expects to be on that list for another year. I was shocked, but that's the way it is where he lives.

I agree about the luck and the waiting... We have small farmers markets that are only seasonal, and they sell more handmade things, and other things than produce, eggs and such. Plus the current one in the next town over is on Saturday mornings, I'm at the baseball fields!

This one I literaly tripped over..LOL didn't even know it existed until I read a blog of a lady that I picked some stuff up from on Freecycle. She mentioned some of the 'semi' local places she's been getting organic foods for her family, I emailed her and asked her about other places. She lead me right to this Co op. I've been emailing with the group leader for almost 3 weeks, waiting for openings in each of the co ops...I got the go ahead today for all of them!!!!!!!

Can't wait to see what you cook up!

Well let's see..I've ordered......
5lbs of Cameo Apples~NW grown $6.08
3lbs of Haas Avocados $2.12
8 Lemons $8.16
5lbs of Bananas $3.75
2 cauliflowers $3.64
3 romaines $4.68
2 containers (not sure of the size) mini sweet peppers $5.46
1 lb of garlic $6.75
10 lbs of Russets $4.00

I think for organic produce that I don't have to drive 30 miles one way for ..the pricing is GREAT!

Next order going in..is for home grown/made cheese. Oh and a grocery order from Azure Standard.

Here is a link that might be useful: Azure

Terri, I share your enthusiasm. And I love the idea of raw milk. You could use that to make some really sinfully-rich clotted cream. Btw, I especially love the concept of milk in glass bottles.
We have a farmer's market about 20 minutes from home, but the hours are ridiculously short, and I have yet to make it there on time.

Sol

thats really great....hoping to see ur recipes soon :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Recipes

Sol, I need to research the raw milk thing some more. It's funny how things come full circle. When I was growing up, we had alot of family friends in the church I grew up in, that were "health food" NUTS..lol..When I babysat for them, I used to think they were weird..LOL unpasturized milk, grains, grains and more grains, lentils, carob, honey, homemade yogurt..there wasn't a single processed item in their house..not fun for a teenager! LOL One family actually grew mushrooms under the kitchen sink, and had a goat in the yard for milk and weed control..

Now as a parent..I realize the importance of these gifts from nature. And of course now, they are a bit more costly and require a bit more work then back then. But I'm determined to give my boys/family much more healthful options.
It's amazing how much different an organic banana or carrot tastes..They taste like they should...fresh and true.
~I used to have instant acid reflux when eating a banana, or anything baked with bananas...now I can happily eat bananas daily...as long as they are organic..

I've turned your beloved cookies into health food. LOL
I use only organic white flour and replace some of the flour with ground almonds. Of course there is the problem of 2 cups of brown sugar..but that's the LOVE..the caramelly sweet goodness..
tee hee...

I'm not sure about the total definition of raw milk, but I know pasteurization and homoginization are done to milk to make them safe to travel and sit on grocery shelves. Theoretically, if the milk comes from healthy cows milked under sanitary conditions and kept cold and consumed right away, it shouldn't pose a health risk. But those conditions hardly exist anymore. I have had raw milk when visiting dairy farms, and it tastes completely different from what we consider milk to taste like, and not in a bad way! It does pose potential risks if the processor is not careful, so caveat emptor!

As for glass bottles, I used to get that kind of milk at my coop in Grant Rapids MI. Again, a totally different taste than plastic or cardboard, but again, those are for cheapness and travel. I love glass bottle milk! Now there's an "old fashioned" tradition I'd like to see return. Plus being a milkman was a viable way to make a working class living, besides being the stuff of lonely housewife paramour legend. I loved the milkman when I was growing up. And this wasn't back in the quaint dark ages either, we were busy putting a man on the moon too!! RIP Royce Rainey, milkman extraordinare! (I was four years old and I just loved to say his name! Royce Rainey is here, Royce Rainey is here!)

Lucky you is right! This brings back memories of my coop days. I loved it when it was my turn to be the "buyer" then bring the goods back to the city for the group to buy.

I've belonged to a CSA for 4 or 5 years now - but we don't choose what we get - just pay and show up once a week and get whatever has grown - lol.

I wish we had moreoptions for getting things like raw milk, and fresh healthy eggs and meat.

I am very confused about the whole milk thing...I started researching awhile back - about how to make mozzarella cheese and it was recommended to have fresh milk - which I don't know where to get around here. I'd been buying that organic milk in the store and found that the "ultra-pasteurization" probably kills off all the beneficial things in the milk anyway...And I buy the Egglands Eggs - but read somewhere that (can't remember why) they are probably worse for you than regular supermarket eggs.

I don't typically fall into the trap of buying gimmicky things - but it's so difficult to figure out, sometimes!

Your prices are great!

Stacy

Terri,
I can't tell you how envious I am of you! I would love to have access to that. A food co-op is such a great idea and the money you are saving is amazing.

Be sure to post some pics when you get your order in!

Tracey

I live on my husbands familys dairy farm, it was sold in 2000, but we own and live in the home place. When we moved here it was still a working dairy and I loved the fresh milk (unpasturized), just poured thru the filter and into the cooler...heaven. Lots of cream from the top for coffee, baking and whipping. Times have changed this was/is a farming community but it's down to 6 dairy farms in the county. I have a friend who still runs a dairy but she won't sell raw (fresh) milk to me because her husband is afraid of getting sued. Seems that you can only buy raw milk for non human consumtion in Ohio. Geez.

Oh, and all of my husband's family are allergic or hate milk, go figure.

Di

Not around here, but back when I was living in MI, there was a dairy CSA. You'd buy a share in a cow, and get the fresh raw milk every week. Lots of raves on that! I don't know if the idea will catch on. It was creative leagally to get around the regulations on selling raw milk. Raw milk was sort of like contraband back where I worked, it seemed like people were sort of consuming it on the sly. But they were all microbiologists and knew what they were doing-- theoretically.

BTW, when I teach a micro lab, I can't hardly get microbes to grow in the commercial milk. You could probably leave it out on the counter for two days before it really starts to turn. This is good for the mass consumer, but it's a long way from real milk. (Disclaimer: don't try this at home!) :)