Around this time last year we excitedly told you about new winter CSAs from Enterprise Farm and Heaven’s Harvest that were built around relationships with growers along the Atlantic Coast. To share resources, to diversify the work of sustainable farming and to give us access to fresh fruit and veggies during the deep freeze — fruit and veggies from a bit closer to our part of the world, not just California and South America.
Though we’re still trying to wrap our brains around the implications of some of this travel, and how wrong it felt to eat lettuce all through the New England winter, there’s a lot to get behind with this model. Most especially when this collaboration gives us access to citrus. Like, the real thing. Citrus like we have never had before in any supermarket in Massachusetts.
Cause this stuff is ripened on the tree, then picked, then delivered within days. The rubbery stuff you can get in the produce department: that was picked weeks early and gassed in some musty backroom of a grocery store, until it has the appearance of ripe fruit.
*Even if you are not a CSA member* you can order a box of this fruit from Heaven’s Harvest — starting now. Here are the details that just arrived in our inbox.
Organic Citrus from Eagles Nest Organic Grove in North Florida. All products will be delivered the week of December 21. All orders that include organic citrus must be made by 10 a.m. on Dec. 14. Please address all inquiries and orders to Heavensharvestfarm@yahoo.com or call 508.867.9577 for questions or clarifications if needed. Payment should be mailed at the time of your order as we need to pre-pay for all products.
You can get: Satsuma Clementines, Sunburst Tangerines, Hanlin Juice & Fresh eating oranges, Carce-carer (red) Navels, Navels, MacIntosh Apples, Red Delicious Apples, Yellow Delicious Apples… in the following (confusing) arrangements–
Full boxes of any citrus $68 (40lbs)
Half boxes of any citrus $38 (20lbs)
Full box of any apple $40
Half box of any apple $25
2 way citrus mix Full Box $72
3 way citrus mix Full box $75
4 way citrus mix Full box $78
2 way citrus mix Half box $40
3 way citrus mix Half box $42
2 way citrus/apple Full box $65
3 way citrus/apple Full box $68
2 way citrus/apple Half box $38
All 3 apples Full box $45
Any 2 apples Full box $45
All 3 apples Half box $30
Any 2 apples Half box $28
The apples are from Honey Bee Orchards in West Brookfield. And they’re also selling maple syrup from Maine in pints ($13) and quarts ($25). And raw milk cheese from New Hampshire.
Piermont 1lb $16
Toma 1lb $16
Gruyere 1lb $18
Manch Veges 1lb $18
I am new to the Enterprise CSA this year. We got our first delivery last week and the citrus (along with everything else) is delicious! You guys are so right! Can’t wait for this weeks box to arrive.
Hey guys–I’ve heard from some people who think Enterprise is a bit of a crock, because South Carolina isn’t at all local. What do you think?
Chiming in — I quit Enterprise last year mostly because 1) it did not promote seasonal eating (citrus is seasonal — but they were promoting the consumption of strawberries from Georgia in April — just wait for Massachusetts ones in June, I say)
2) the quality of the Florida, etc. produce was really ordinary to bad — I can buy what they had (Lady Moon Farms) in the coop, etc. if I need to, but I won’t because there was not very much in the way of flavor there. Plus it was beets and greens which should be available here in the winter and spring through proper (ok advanced) growing and storage.
So, like you, I want to support regional food systems, but only when they don’t undermine local ones.
ps Here’s another idea — regional luxury food trading (and only for non very perishables) — maple syrup for clementines — treat non-local food as luxuries and imbue them with the value and preciousness they deserve. No refrigerated trucks running up and down and all around.
I also got my first share from Enterprise this last week….although a true localvore may stick to the 100/250 mile rule, I think getting east coast small farm organic produce through the winter is a great option for those of us that are somewhere in the middle. We want some produce in the winter that isn’t a root veggie but we DON”T want it from CA or even Australia, and we can support our local farms through the winter at the same time. For those of you that can do the 100/250 mile diet I think that’s great, but I’m just not ready to give up my olive oil, coffee, spices, and citrus just yet…small steps…
Hey Danielle,
I’ve heard that complaint from people too. And while I think it’s important for us to scrutinize the reality of what we accept as part of our local food options, I guess I think it’s not really useful to completely dismiss what Enterprise is doing.
Cause really, what’s the alternative? Shopping at Whole F#$*s? I seriously doubt anyone is preserving enough Massachusetts-grown veggies to last through the winter, or simply going without until June.
We are not purists and we would never advise people remove things like olive oil, tea and chocolate from their lives. And 100 mile thing makes the localvore movement seem like an exercise in denial. But that said, I’d estimate that at least 70 percent of what we eat, year-round, is coming from New Englad.
We had a share with Enterprise them last winter — their pilot year. The flow of lettuce and summer squash was weird and when Enterprise asked for input from shareholders, we told them. It will be interesting to see how things change this year. The fact that we were invited to comment at all seems like the most meaningful part of this scenario.