Special Reports

Fresh Approach To Getting Fruits And Vegetables

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ― If you want vegetables, you can go to the grocery store, but much of the produce there has been flown in from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. What if you could buy it fresh from the farm?

CBS 2's Anne State reports some Chicagoans are doing just that. They say it's a good deal for them and the environment.

Fridays at 3:30 p.m. on the dot, farmer Steve Tiwald walks out of his barn and his customers are waiting. They arrive to stock up on fresh produce, grown on Tiwald's organic farm at the Green Earth Institute in Naperville. It's considered CSA, or community supported agriculture.

"When people ask me 'What is that, CSA?' I say, 'A CSA – community supported agriculture – is where people have a direct relationship with a farm," Tiwald said.

People like Lisa Schweitzer and her family aren't just CSA customers, they're shareholders. They basically pay the farmer ahead of time in exchange for a share of the harvest.

"Oh my gosh, it's phenomenal," Schweitzer said, "It's so much better than what you would get in a supermarket."

The cost to become a full shareholder at the Green Earth Institute in Naperville? $600 up front, or about $30 a week for fresh produce once a week from June through October.

Sometimes, you can pick your own, or volunteer. What happens if the crop is ruined by floods or drought? That's a risk shareholders must be prepared to take. However, Tiwald said to reduce the risk he over-plants a wide variety of produce.

There's also something else to consider. For some, the farm is a bit of a drive, but farmers say it's nothing compared to the alternative.

"Driving 5 miles to get your veggies as opposed to having them flown in from California, Texas ... it's a huge benefit. Think of the fossil fuels we're saving by growing them here and having them consumed within a very small radius," Tiwald said.

Some CSA's will deliver to drop-off points in the metropolitan area so shareholders can pick up their produce near home. To find a Chicago area CSA, check out the following links: 

Growing Home
2732 N. Clark
Chicago 
773-549-1336
http://www.growinghomeinc.org/csa/

Genesis Growers
St. Anne, IL
815-953-1512
http://www.sustainusa.org/familyfarmed/profile_genesisgrowers.html

Earth & Skye Farm
708 945-9993
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M9251

Sandhill Organics
Grayslake, IL
http://sandhillorganics.com/2008_sandhill_organics.htm

Erehwon Farm
Elburn IL
630-485-9964
http://erehwonfarm.com/index.html

For a list of more Chicago area CSA-s:
http://www.familyfarmed.org/

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