Turf CSA's First Distribution Day

The first day of distribution was a lot less chaotic than I thought it would be. When I got there, Sharon, Iris, Michael and Lydia, were already there setting up the tables. Getting the tables ready was the easy part. When our farmer arrived, we all scrambled to take the vegetables inside as soon as possible. From there, the real work started. First we had to take all the vegetables out and count them. Then Michael weighed them and we all started to set up the tables. This week we got baby carrots, Swiss chard, baby romaine lettuce, red romaine lettuce, Chinese cabbage, baby bok choi, green garlic, cilantro (which smelled so good) and eggs. One of the eggs was so big it didn’t fit into the carton! We finished setting up the place long before the distribution time, which was good.

At first, there was a slow pace; two csa members came in to pick up their shares. However, around 11am, more and more members started to come and picked up their shares. First, they were greeted by Ms. Joseph to sign in and then they picked up their heaviest vegetables first (carrots, Swiss chard). Then they proceeded all the way until they got to the cilantro. Michael and Iris stood by the vegetables to help assist members and to tell them what could be done to the vegetables and how to store them. From there, they came to the egg table, where I was at. If they had a weekly egg share, I would give them the eggs and ask them to bring back the carton so we could recycle it. If they didn’t like any of the vegetables, they could swap it for anything in the “swap box”. Then, they went to the information table where Lydia was.

It was such a nice setting to be in. Sharon brought in a few CDs and played relaxing music while the people picked up their shares. There was also a coffee table where members could serve themselves coffee and sit down to read information on vegetables at a nearby table. Everyone was so nice to each other and everyone was working hard to make the experience pleasant. I even got my own share at the end of the day!

I am so excited to be a Turf Intern. I learned a lot just being there the first day. Before Saturday, I didn’t even know what “bok choi” was. Also, as unbelievable as it sounds, I had never seen carrots in their natural form freshly picked. Their color was so vibrant. When I went home with the vegetables, my mom was so excited! She loves eating greens and this was a perfect opportunity to experiment with new vegetables. I definitely think that more teens will learn a lot about vegetables if they joined a csa. Eating healthy and knowing what to eat is hard, especially when you’re a teenager. Joining this program can help everyone learn how to eat vegetables and give them more options. Overall, the first day was a success and I’m so happy to be a part of Turf CSA.

by Erika (Turf's High School Intern)