Well.ca / blog

What could be more satisfying than the crunch of a cool, juicy slice of cucumber on a summer day? At first, I couldn’t think of anything. But what if you could be certain that the cucumber had traveled less than 20 kilometres from the field to your mouth? What if you could be confident that it wasn’t genetically modified and treated with pesticides and hormones that forced it to grow outside of its regular growing season?

A growing number of people want to ensure that their food is produced sustainably and in a healthy way. In addition to more farmers’ markets and local food stands, CSAs or Community Shared Agriculture farms have become more commonplace in Canadian communities. Some advantages of joining a CSA include the environmental benefit (food travels a shorter distance from farm to fridge), increased sustainability of local agriculture, a healthier variety of veggies in your diet, and simple cost savings!

In Guelph, we have various options to choose from, including Everdale Organic Farm, Ignatius Farm and CSA, Reroot Organic CSA, and Backyard Bounty. This year, I joined the Ignatius CSA. I’ve learned a lot already about different types of vegetables, including kohlrabi, mizuna, pak choi, kale, fennel and different varieties of cabbage. Every week is a new adventure as we select our vegetables and figure out what to do with them. But we feel good knowing we are getting health while helping the planet, and the economy!

For a little inspiration, try this tasty Quinoa Salad with Vegetables!
2 cups of quinoa
2 to 3 cups of diced summer vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, kohlrabi, summer squash, sweet peppers, etc.)
basil, cilantro, parsley, and other fresh herbs as desired.
2 tbsps each, lemon juice and olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together to taste. Enjoy!