During the last couple of months we’ve had to replace most appliances in our house. The result … better ‘fresh storage,’ as well as additional space in our fridge. In turn, this allows us to have more fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.
Since moving to Central Oregon we’ve not missed working in the garden … but we do miss fresh produce.
We’ve been looking for a CSA farm (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA memberships are a great way to eat seasonally and connect with a local farm. Sure, there are local small “truck farms,’ but few of them offer subscription services. Farmer Markets in Bend are OK, but not dog friendly and are only open a few months of the year.
JQ found “Agriculture Connections” and it’s an ideal solution. This organization offers farm direct sales from a collective of area farmers. Their weekly, or bi-weekly boxes are available all year with seasonal market fresh vegies and fruit from different farms, most within 125 miles of Bend. Vegetables for each box are typically harvested the morning of delivery. It doesn’t get much fresher.
At the same time we’ve started to notice that other shortages are showing up at grocery stores. This pandemic has dropped a wrench in the supply chain.
Our interest in locally sourced foods lead us to a cattle ranch near Sisters, Oregon. The Sisters Cattle Company practices ‘regenerative grazing’, and is a great source for beef. Their IG stories and TicTok vids are entertaining and packed with information.
The addition of an upright freezer has made buying in quantity possible. It saves a bit of money, but more importantly, we get better quality food. We cut out a big chunk of an inefficient supply chain while supporting local agriculture.
We’re only a couple of weeks in, but so far we like the results. The Ag Connection is allowing us greater access to the local food distribution system. This is not buying into rhetoric from conspiracy theorists or SHTF preppers. As America’s market basket burns it seems like a perfect time to connect with a food supply that is closer to where we live.
Yeah for you guys! We miss the CSA that was here. Only opptions now are Portland based and with a 4pm pickup that can take hours. We’re making do with Sat. market but sure wish I could find a year round deal. I’ll keep looking.