Farewells

As the CSA season comes to an end, you may be thinking the same thing I am: Where am I going to get my vegetables now? We have been enjoying eating the delicious, organically and locally grown produce for months now- I feel slightly spoiled! I don't know if I want go back to the large supermarkets and buy the flavorless tomatoes, boring lettuce, or pears from Peru...

As I feel strongly about buying organic produce, I will pay the premium price, noting that a head of organic lettuce costs at least double the price of conventionally grown. I enjoy how some of the large supermarkets carry organic products, and some even are grown 'locally', within 250 miles of the store. I find comfort in the idea of buying locally grown produce, as this usually means I am also buying seasonally appropriate vegetables.

I love the CSA model, particularly the part that highlights the importance of supporting your community and therein local farmers and business owners. This aspect is difficult to uphold with the end of our farms growing season. While I hold respect for large supermarkets, like Whole Foods, they are a very large chain store and surely not a local business. There are other options, like Country Sun Natural Foods in Palo Alto or Monte Vista Market in Cupertino. I enjoy directly supporting farmers, so I attend the farmers markets still operating. Some of my favorites are the Mountain View market in the Cal Trans parking lot, which is Sundays from  9am-3pm, or the Los Altos Hills Market on Saturday mornings in the Adronico's market parking lot. There are many good options for when the CSA ends, but please continue to consider where you are buying your vegetables, and where they are coming from!

Sadly, this will be my last Newsletter as an intern here at Hidden Villa. I have loved my experience here and thoroughly enjoyed writing Newsletters for the past two seasons. I have certainly changed as an individual, learning mind blowing amounts about farming and what it takes to run a Community Supported Agriculture program as well as farmers market stand. It has been an honor to grow, weed, and harvest a metric ton of vegetables and fruits for you all! Thank you for supporting the program that cultivates and teaches young farmers. Next year I will be joining ex-intern Joey Smith, the Journeyman Farmer before myself, at his farm in Santa Rosa- Let's Go Farm. We have decided to farm together and plan on continuing to attend the Windsor farmers market as well as start a small CSA program. If you are interested in learning more about Let's Go farm, please feel free to ask! Some of my fondest memories in my short life have taken place in our fields here at Hidden Villa, I will not forget them! So long CSA members!

-Max