Meet CSA Members Cody and Jenica
Members since 2020
I want to introduce you to Cody and Jenica! They are committed and enthusiastic members. Their daughter loves it when it is CSA day and they go see “the ranchers”.
Jenica works in the local food movement at an organic farming nonprofit out of the Midwest.
I've had a long connection with food and farming and where it's coming from. Although I am not a farmer or rancher myself, I have dedicated much of my time to supporting people who do that very important work of feeding our communities. -Jenica
Cody is a former teacher that now works in education technology. His job helps provide opportunities for teachers to utilize real-world news and information content in the classroom. He grew up on a 120-acre old-growth walnut orchard as a kid. He spent a lot of time working on the farm and being out in the field.
Together they have created a life that focuses on a connection to their food, farmer, and the environment.
CSA Share Pick-Up Location
Portland
Type of Membership
10# standard share
Supporting Local Food
Cody and Jenica have been vegetable CSA members for a while now. They are well-stocked during the farmers market season but do enjoy going to the market in their neighborhood on occasion to enjoy being outside, and to purchase quality bread and flowers.
When they are not able to buy food locally or something that is produced in the United States, they buy fair trade. Jenica used to work for Equal Exchange, which builds long-term fair trade partnerships.
Choosing The Right CSA
Cody and Jenica had been casually looking for a meat CSA when Covid hit. At the time there was a lot of uncertainty around stores. Will they be closed? Will they have what we want? This unreliability pushed them to start looking more vigorously for a meat CSA.
Jenica got a recommendation from some friends about a local CSA. While she was looking into the other farm, she got a recommendation for the Double F Ranch page on Instagram.
The welfare of the animals and the transparency about farming stood out on the website. It was also evident that Nathan and Katia had a deep connection to their work and the land.
The CSA was affordable, pick up was close to their house, and there was this awesome community attached to belonging to the CSA.
When they were first getting started with a vegetable CSA, they joined one that was impersonal, and you didn’t connect with anyone when you picked up your CSA. It was just sitting on someone’s porch.
They eventually found a much more inclusive and community-minded vegetable CSA and wanted that same vibe with their meat CSA.
When we started with Double F, that’s what we were looking for as well and we were fully prepared to change it up and pick a different one if we didn't feel that. Right away it was very clear that kind of community was there.
I remember like the second or third time I went to do pick up. It was during the pandemic when we started wearing masks. Katia grabbed the bag that was ours before I even walked up. She said my name and I was like how did she remember this is me? I've been here twice and it was just one of those moments that shows how much they care. This is a real community.
It's really a gift to know where our food is coming from and to be supporting Katia and Nathan and their family directly. -Cody and Jenica
Connection to Food, Farmer, and Environment
When people make the conscious choice to join the CSA it is deeply rooted in who we are, our experiences, and our personal beliefs. The CSA enables us to demonstrate our commitment to supporting the community and the environment in very tangible ways. Cody and Jenica share some of their beliefs on the importance of supporting CSA:
“Farmers and ranchers don’t get enough money. They don’t get enough cut of the final price of food when it’s sold in the grocery store.
Philosophically and morally, when you are a part of a CSA, it is in line with my views of just getting money right into the pockets of the people who are doing all this work instead of it going to the middlemen and businesses along the way.”
Both Cody and Jenica shared their commitment to local agriculture in the face of climate change.
“It’s a commitment that the climate is changing, conditions change.
The farmers take the brunt of that risk, with some insurance backing that up.
But a better insurance policy is committed support from the community that benefits from their labor. ”
Jenica pointed out that the key solution to climate change is regenerative and organic farming and ranching. They believe in supporting farmers and ranchers who are working hard on these solutions. “We are going to heal the planet and heal our communities with healthy food.”
Cody shared how important the quality of the meat is. There are so many different shopping experiences one can choose from. By being a part of the CSA, you get an upfront and personal experience that puts you in touch with your food and the people that are raising it.
It’s reflective of the true cost. What we see at the grocery store is not the true cost.
Especially when you take into account the impacts on the earth and on the people who are working and laboring to bring that food to the grocery store and ultimately to your table.
“Where else are you going to get direct from farm to table without it being filtered through a restaurant?
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Favorite Perks of the CSA
Jenica really likes that the meat comes frozen. People ask her, is that annoying? She thinks not. She finds it convenient to put the meat in the fridge the night before to thaw. “The meat is so much fresher, and it lasts longer when you put in that pre-work.”
They love how tasty the meat is and sharing it with others.
“When we have friends for dinner, we feel a little bit of pride. When they take a bite of the food that Cody has cooked, and they are like this is delicious. We are like yeah, you just put salt and pepper on it. That’s it. It’s just really good.”
Jenica also loves the pleasant vibe of the pickup. Connecting with the other members makes the CSA that much more enjoyable.
Another great benefit of belonging to the CSA is as parents, it allows Cody and Jenica to help their child connect the dots on where their food is coming from. She knows the meat is coming from a rancher and she gets to meet the people doing this important work. Jenica points out, “there is enough abstraction in the world. This is one less thing.”
Advice For New Members
“Schedule yourself some time to hang out at pick up. You don’t have to run. Sometimes it happens fast, and I always wish that we could stay longer on those days. ”
“If you find yourself intimidated by some of the cuts, hold off and add it when you’re feeling ready.
Also, you don’t have to overdo recipes. Sometimes ground beef can just be a cheeseburger or a steak can go on a grill and that’s fine.
The meat is high quality and sometimes just let that do the talking when you’re cooking.”
Cody And Jenica’s Recommended Cuts And Recipes
I am obsessed with the maple breakfast sausage! Also the eggs are gorgeous. The eggs make me so happy every time I open a carton to see all the different sizes and colors. - Jenica
I love cooking with large hunks of beef or pork, like a pork shoulder. We enjoy the beef short ribs and the wonderful New York strips. It gets us thinking, why not have a random fancy Wednesday dinner? - Cody
Family favorites include:
Meatloaf
Meatballs in a homemade red sauce
Spatchcocked roast chicken with warm spices and perfectly crispy skin
Burger night
It has become a yearly tradition for Cody to make beef bourguignon.
With the larger cuts, Cody enjoys experimenting and trying new recipes. His go to recipe inspiration comes from New York Times Cooking. Cody finds the site straightforward, easy to use, and it has an active comment community.
Their highly recommended cookbooks include:
How To Cook Everything: The Basics, foundational cooking skills that make it easy to craft great meals.
Cooking For Good Times, a cookbook with improvising in mind, focusing on how to cook a few things really well and build on main dishes. Cody turns to this cookbook for gatherings and holidays for inspiration.
Websites of Interest
Equal Exchange - fair-trade coffee, chocolate and teas
Diaspora - fair-trade spices and spice blends
Thank you, Cody and Jenica, for sharing your experience with us! -Rachel