Wegmans and Tops.  These are the locations Syracuse University students typically get their produce.  But how much can you really know about where this produce comes from?  And what other implications are involved?

There is an alternative to grocery store shopping: eating local.  One way to do so is to make trips to the Farmer’s Market near Destiny USA.  There are so many options there and a lot to learn about food.  But for college students, making trips down there, even once in a while, can be difficult with their busy schedules.  One solution is to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture program.  A CSA connects local farmers to community members looking to purchase fresh produce directly from the farm.  Each CSA member gets a box each week filled with produce the farm grew and then split between all the shareholders.  Through membership to these programs, shareholders are supporting the local economy, reducing carbon emissions and improving the health of themselves and their families.

Common Thread Farm is a local establishment based out of Madison, New York with a CSA program that offers a student share for those in the Syracuse area.  They have both delivery and pick-up options with different sized boxes. They even boast a Student Share Box designed specifically for college students.  This gives students the ability to participate only for the weeks they are on campus.  When 10 or more students sign up, a drop off location can be set up at a central location, eliminating the inaccessibility of local produce.  Splitting the box with roommates or friends is also an economical way to get a lot of locally grown produce.

Since a CSA box will come with an assortment of produce each week, some not so familiar to the typical person or especially college student, becoming a shareholder is a great way to experiment with new fruits and vegetables. The owners of Common Thread Farm can help with some of this unexplored territory online and in their newsletter with recipes.  But in this day and age of Pinterest, it is so easy to find new and easy recipes featuring any strange-looking, unidentified vegetable. A CSA is a great opportunity for students to save time, eat healthy and familiarize themselves with cooking locally grown produce they may not always find in the grocery stores.  Go to www.commonthreadcsa.com for more information on how to get involved.

Lynsey Cooper
International Relations major
Class of 2017

Alexis Lisser
History major
Class 2016

Rob Swanda
Biology and Nutrition Science? major
Class of 2016

Megan Bradley
Public Health major
Class of 2015

Published on December 1, 2014 at 10:42 pm