CSA Community

Meet The Member: Vikki

Meet CSA Member Vikki

Member since 2022

Vikki and her husband have been living in Portland now for 17 years. It is home in every way. Vikki is a pastor at a church in town and her husband works in property management and real estate. They have two elementary age boys.

Vikki is new to the CSA. She joined back in May 2022. Her family loves going to the Portland farmers market and trying new foods. They are all adventurous eaters!

CSA Pick Up Location

Portland

Type Of Membership

20# share

Supporting Local Farms Together

Vikki lives very close to the Portland farmer’s market. It is a mainstay in her family and a place for exploration.

“We are trying something where we bring the boys to the farmer’s market and they get to have more interactions with the produce and choosing it, seeing the prices of it, seeing the seasonality of it and talking to the farmers.”

It is one of the ways that they include the kids in meal planning.

Hopping On The Waitlist

Vikki’s experiences at the farmer’s market gave her insight into the local meat scene. Over time, the idea of a meat CSA was more appealing to Vikki and her spouse because they wanted to support one specific farm.

“We just wanted to be thoughtful about the kind of meat that we consumed and to know our money was going to support the farms around us. ”

She began searching online with specifics in mind such as a meat CSA that had multiple proteins and had a drop off in Portland. Double F Ranch popped up with several other farms. She put herself on the waitlist not knowing when she might get in. In May, Katia contacted her to invite her family to join us the CSA!


Best Part Of Joining A Meat CSA

Before moving to Portland, Vikki did not know about CSAs. When she lived in California, the farmers markets were open year-round. One of the benefits of being in the CSA and shopping locally is learning more about eating sustainably and seasonally.

I had to learn a lot about sustainable farming, seasonality and being thoughtful about my food. Like where to support farms and what's the best way to do that responsibly.

Vikki also enjoys how each month’s share is a surprise. It has become a part of her meal planning.

Vikki mentioned though above all, the taste of the CSA meat is what really stands out.

“I love, love how the meat tastes. I love the community. I love the fact that my kids get access to a farmer and get to ask her all sorts of questions.

But really, if the meat didn’t taste amazing it’s not going to be a win for us.”


Sharing The CSA Experience

Vikki has found lots of occasions to share about her CSA experience. She wrote a blog post for PDX Parent about finding the CSA and has brought it up in her circle. She has found that there is a lot of interest surrounding a meat CSA because:

  • The pandemic and meat shortages helped people think a bit more about their meat source.

  • It helped people think about the labor behind the meat.

  • It brought up questions, like, who am I really supporting?

She recommends to people to get on a waitlist and try to get into a CSA. The benefits are numerous.

Busy Raising Adventurous Eaters

Vikki and her family love trying new foods. Vikki shared she was born in Hong Kong and eating every part of the animal was completely normal growing up. There was never any part of an animal that she ate where she was unsure of it or felt squeamish. Fast forward to today, and her early experiences now influence her parenting style and the way Vikki and her husband raise their boys.

“It is so important for us that our children are global citizens and have a deeper appreciation of different cultures and a deep respect for heritage that’s outside of our own.

They also have this understanding that there are so many things to be explored and so many things to be appreciated.

We want to make sure that they always have a wide-eyed wonder towards the world and towards its foods.”

Vikki actively finds ways to get her children involved with the food they eat. Whether it’s their regular trip to the farmers market or having them pick a meal to cook each week or getting them in the kitchen to help, she finds a way to include them.

As a family they really enjoyed watching cooking shows together. Her boys took the judging to heart and began their own critiques of food in the kitchen. When Vikki found herself saying, “Hey, I’m not in the competition here, OK? So cool it with the criticism!” they dialed back the cooking shows. It’s still a great way for the kids to see different styles of cooking and foods.

She really appreciates how there’s so much more information available about foods from other cultures. With a laugh, she recalled that she didn’t eat much Mexican food until she got to college. “They served tortillas on the side and I was like, I have NO idea what to do with that. Oh my, do I roll the food up? Make a taco? Do I eat it like bread?”

Kids nowadays, even if they're not traveling, have so much more access to seeing different kinds of food. When my kids are reading books or seeing a show, they ask “what is this, what is a churro?”. Then it's an opportunity for us to try and cook it and see if you like it.

Meal Planning Help

One of the ways Vikki meal plans is by using the Pepper Plate app. She uses it to store her recipes, build a shopping list, and if she wants to double a recipe it adjusts the ingredients. She spends time once a week planning.

Having a plan and making sure everything she needs for a meal is stocked in the kitchen really helps at meal time.

Favorite Cuts

Vikki is all about those chops, pork and lamb chops to be exact!

The pork chop was the first cut her family cooked. They prepared it while camping and decided it was the best pork chop ever, even with just a little salt and pepper seasoning.

She also really loves the whole chickens. Recently she spatchcocked and grilled her whole chicken. It tasted amazing. She found it super handy to have on hand throughout the week to take meat off and make meals.


Looking Forward

Vikki is ready for all the Fall cooler weather so she can start cooking more slow and low meals. She is excited to start braising! She received a brisket in her share a few months ago but without a smoker or desire to turn on the oven in the hot summer months, it’s just been hanging out in the freezer waiting for cooler weather.

“As the temperature starts dropping, I’m ready to pull out that brisket and have a nice, sweet, sour, whole brisket with some mashed potatoes. I want all the comfort food with those bigger cuts. ”


Thank you so much Vikki for sharing your CSA experience with us! -Rachel


,

Meet The Member: Helen

,

Meet CSA Member Helen

Member since 2019

 
 

I want to introduce you to Helen.

Helen grew up in England and made her way to the Midwest for college. While there she met her husband. Eventually settling in the US, they moved to Portland partially because Helen thought it sounded really nice in the Northwest! She was also in search of a job at a museum that suited her interests more.

After spending some time volunteering with the Oregon Historical Society, she is now the curator of collections. There she works with the historical objects. This can be anything from small pieces of jewelry to large wagons. Some of her favorite items include dresses designed and created by the Shogren sisters* in Portland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


CSA Pick Up Location

Portland



Type of Membership

#10 share with lamb upgrade



A Growing Understanding

Helen’s disinterest in store bought meat started her on a journey to look for a higher quality product.

“When we were in Chicago, I started getting dissatisfied with the quality of meat that was available in grocery stores and the conditions that animals were kept in. I was reading a lot around it. I read Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. ”

Helen found the books motto, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” to be a philosophy to live by. She found Omnivore’s Dilemma to be eye opening and it confirmed a lot of things she was already thinking about her food. It pushed her to be more deliberate about where her food was coming from.

Searching For Options

Helen began looking online for any and all options available to her that would fit her growing understanding of food but also her lifestyle. At that time, she did not know meat CSAs existed. It seemed like the only option was buying half a cow. That was not going to work.

But then she came across a small farm and here was a meat CSA that delivered 10 lbs in a monthly share. Perfect! They signed up and loved it! Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm in Illinois became their regular meat provider and it’s where Helen says, “I got addicted to really good eggs!”

After moving to Portland, Helen started looking for a new monthly meat CSA. At the time she was not able to locate one. She again quickly became dissatisfied with the options at the store and decided to resume her search. It was at that time she came across Double F Ranch meat CSA. She joined the wait list for a short time before a membership became available.

Value Of The CSA

One of the big values of belonging to the CSA has been the variety of cuts the shares contain. Helen laments the lack of variety of meat cuts in the US compared to the UK.

“The lack of variety is just a bit startling, honestly. [There would be] two cuts of things and that’s all you can have and then the quality of it was not very good.

You could seek out higher quality, but you still don’t exactly know what conditions the animals have been raised under. I like the accountability of literally knowing who your farmers are. ”

That same variety pushes Helen in her cooking. She loves to cook and doesn’t mind spending time looking at recipes and deciding what to do with each cut.

“I enjoy having less choices. The meat turns up and then you figure out what to do with it.

I think if you just take what you want, you end up doing the same things all the time. ”

Helen mentioned that one of the ways the CSA has benefited her life is that they actually eat less meat. She saves the majority of the cuts for the weekends, and they eat primarily vegetarian during the week.

Favorite Cuts

Hands down, Helen loves the CSA pork!

“I’m just getting all these different cuts of pork that are so flavorful and you can do so many interesting things with.”

Some of her favorite pork cuts include:

  • Pork shoulder, gotta love leftovers!

  • Ham hocks

She also really enjoys the whole chickens. She told me how she cooks it the same way each time based on a recipe from one of Thomas Keller’s cookbooks.

This chicken gets super crispy, and it only really works as well with the local farm raised chicken that isn't too big. It gets super crispy and then you eat it with green salad and some bread with it. Then the rest is for leftovers, and I make stock out of the carcass.


Meal Planning

Helen finds it helpful to meal plan. Her quick and easy process includes:

  • At the beginning of the week, see what is on hand and decide what meals to make.

  • Go to the store and purchase everything needed for the meals.

  • Do a top up shopping trip if needed mid-week.

Helen really enjoys the ritual of spending time each evening cooking. Meal planning is an important process, while meal prepping is not always the goal. She aims to not cook dishes that take too long during the week, reserving elaborate dishes for the weekend, especially those that produce leftovers.


A Special Meal

There are many amazing meals to make with your CSA share. One particularly special meal to Helen is lamb shanks. Specifically, because it was the meal at her wedding.

I really like it if we get lamb shanks. Which I think has only happened a couple of times. It's not a particularly common cut. But that's what we had at our wedding. So, whenever we have lamb shanks, it always just makes me think of that. I cook it in a similar way, which is in red wine.


Final Thoughts

“It’s been great reading all the different stories and seeing how many different people with different experiences are all enjoying this meat CSA.

I love it and I love Katia and Nathan. I’m really happy that I found this CSA.
”



Thank you, Helen, for sharing your experience with the CSA! -Rachel



*Resources noted:

Portland’s Shogren sisters

Oregon Historical Society

Micheal Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Thomas Keller’s cookbook Bouchon



,

Meet The Farmer: Katia

,

Meet The Farmer: Katia

Meet Katia

Double F Ranch Farmer and rancher Since 2008

I had the pleasure of chatting with Katia about her life’s journey and the story behind creating Double F Ranch Meat CSA.

Join me as we get a glimpse into the history of Katia’s transformation from restoration ecologist to farmer, the legacy of the family ranch, and what makes the CSA so special.

-Rachel, CSA Community Manager

A little bit about Katia

Katia grew up in Oregon and lived in Salem/Keizer before moving to Portland Metro, west side for high school.

Katia met Nathan in high school math class and nearly failed pre-calculus - she was so distracted.

She first visited Nathan’s family ranch at age 16 and fell in love with the place.

 
 

What were you doing before you came out to the ranch?

I was working in the restoration ecology field and wanted to be a wildlife biologist. I loved working in the field.

We always knew that we wanted to move out to the ranch.

We could make our life in Portland and then eventually (hopefully) retire to the ranch someday. Or we could make that jump and try to figure out a way for the ranch to support another household.


How did you find yourself moving to the ranch?

After college when Nathan’s grandfather passed, we asked his uncle Lloyd, who was farming alone, if he would be interested in some help. He said sure. At the time I don’t think he knew what he was getting into, but he said sure.

We quit our jobs in Portland and moved out here in 2008.


Were there any other factors that influenced your desire to jump in and become farmers?

The ranch has a very magnetic presence. It’s not fancy or modern, but it really sticks with people when they come to visit. It’s a bit of a 1970s-time warp really - shag carpet and all - but I think that adds to part of the charm.

The ranch is situated on the unceded lands of the Northern Paiute and Warm Springs bands. Part of it was a land claim made under the Homestead Act by Nathan’s great-grandfather, Frank. He started farming here in 1902.

Then Nathan’s grandfather took over the farming, overlapped by Nathan’s uncle Lloyd who we farm with today.

That’s why the ranch is called Double F Ranch - Frank M. Forman. Same with our brand.

So, Nathan is the fourth generation of our family to steward this land.

“Our family is now the steward of this piece of land, and we are hopeful that someday one of our kids will want to take over the ranch as the fifth generation.”

When you got to the ranch, what prompted you to start a meat CSA?

Actually, my boss at the time gave me the idea. Once she heard I was going to move out to the family farm, she asked about buying some meat.

(The ranch also raised cattle in what’s called a cow-calf operation in addition to commodity grains such as wheat and barley.)

At the time, grass finished beef was a very fringy thing - corn-fed beef was the standard.

But she said, “No, no, that's exactly the kind of meat that I want.”

So we moved out to the ranch, raised up some grass-finished steers and started selling to this relatively small group of people.

“Our first customers were so passionate about food from a nutritional standpoint. It was really enlightening to be able to serve a community like that. ”

When Nathan and I were in college, we were exposed to the idea of veggie CSA's, which were starting to become more common in the US.

How could we take that model and re-tool it for meat? We could freeze the meat in season and distribute it to our customers year-round. Just give them a little bit at a time so they didn’t have to buy the big ole chest freezer and purchase a whole side of beef. We could be the freezer.

Did you see any other benefits to selling direct to your customers?

One of the benefits of buying direct for the customer is “knowing your farmer” - humanizing the face that produces your food. But it works the other way too.

“I think that was a lot of what drew us to the value of the CSA in the early days, was raising real food for real people.”

And here I had this core group of customers that were buying my grass-finished beef. They expected more from their food. These were the people I wanted to serve.


Were there any hurdles in the beginning?

I think it was just such a new model. There really wasn't anybody else in Oregon selling meat like this. There were farms selling sides of beef and there were people that would sell like a boxed bundle. You know, like 10 pounds of ground beef and some steaks.

But there really wasn't anybody that was metering out the meats over time, essentially doing all the storage for the customer. There really weren't any other operations that were providing a species variety, where it was one stop shop - beef, pork, chicken and eggs.


Are there any ongoing hurdles to keeping the CSA going?

Meat processing. Hands down.

I use this tomato analogy all the time because many folks are familiar with raising a tomato plant. So, imagine you are not allowed to pick your own tomatoes. You can hire this crew to come pick your tomatoes next year. They will be there on August 1st. They’ll pick every tomato that day - the small green ones, the perfect ripe ones and the over-ripe mushy ones. Those are the only tomatoes you can sell this year.

I desperately want every tomato to be harvested at the peak of ripeness. But the meat processing capacity just isn’t there. And it is so frustrating because I’ve spent sometimes years tending these “tomato plants”.

And the CSA is really about making the best of what I’ve got and teaching my CSA members that meat is a natural product, it isn’t always perfect and uniform and that's OK.
 

  • Sometimes the tomatoes are a little, green and small - like meat chickens that are smaller than I want at harvest time because it’s 100+ degrees all week and chickens don’t eat much when it is hot.

  • Sometimes the tomatoes are over-ripe - like the hogs that were ready for harvest weeks ago and the butcher didn’t have any earlier harvest dates available so now they are over-finished which makes for fatty bacon.

  • But when the stars align just right and we are able to harvest at exactly the right time, it feels (and tastes!) absolutely amazing.

 
 

Why do you think local agriculture is important to creating a resilient food system? 

“I think people discount the ripple effect of local agriculture and how much that impacts the local economy and the stability of communities.”

As a CSA customer, you see me, and you know when you purchase your CSA those dollars are going to support me and my family and my business vision.

But in order for me to even get to that point, [I’m] standing on the shoulders of giants.

There's so many other people and other connections below me that are partaking in this ripple effect through the economy.

We’re trying to work with a more holistic perspective of resource management here on the ranch.

We're giving back to the soil and giving the soil a chance to rebuild and support the microbial community that actually lives in the soil.

Soil is alive and just like the human body it is amazing how it can regenerate and care for itself even after years of abuse. You take care of it, and it will take care of you.


How else are you involved in agriculture?

“As farmers we should be called to a life of stewardship of the entire ecosystem and that extends beyond the borders of your farm.”

As a family we’ve worked with various organizations advocating for health of the ecosystem and financial viability of agricultural businesses. Nathan’s grandfather volunteered to serve on the board of the soil and water conservation district and watershed council. Lloyd continues to carry that torch today.

I volunteer with the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA) to advocate for and support small, local producers so they can build strong businesses and contribute to a resilient local food system. It’s very rewarding.

 
 

Do you have a special CSA memory that you'd like to share?

“I love the connection that I have with CSA members, it is so inspiring to be able to raise food for real people.”

One of the things that tips me over into literal tears sometimes is watching CSA kids grow up.

The parents are in the CSA for a little while, then they get pregnant and have the baby and that kid grows up.

I like knowing that I'm part of that. I’m clearly on the outer fringe part of the village it takes to raise a child, but I have nourished that kid their entire life.

That's just bonkers to me because we have kids in the CSA now that are almost 10. I'm like, Oh my gosh, you're so big. It took so many calories and nutrients to make you this size. And I helped.

“Food is energy and eating is a transfer of energy. It is the ultimate expression of love to raise food or cook food for another person.”



Do your CSA members understand the value of local agriculture?

Most do. I did have one lady inform me that she had to leave the CSA immediately because of our products.

"Which product?" I asked

"Chicken legs. I would never buy chicken legs at the store!"

I told her I was very sorry and that unfortunately all of our chickens have two legs apiece and wished her the very best.


So, what's up with using the motorhome for CSA pickup?

Hah! The motorhome was in the family (and was actually my first home when we moved to Central Oregon). We have three kids and during Covid we lost all childcare options.

We also saw a huge surge in demand for our products when people went shopping and there was no meat in the grocery store. So, we had a lot of folks really interested in sourcing meat from us.

The motorhome was just the biggest vehicle we had that could fit the whole family in there and, you know, a dozen coolers full of meat. We also had a bathroom and a kitchen, and we could stay overnight because we didn't have overnight accommodations in Portland anymore. It worked really well. Still does.





Thank you, Katia, for sharing your story! -Rachel

, ,

July I ATE and it was GREAT

, ,

Let us take a moment to reflect on all the amazing and delicious meals members prepared with their shares last month!

 

Asian pork lettuce wraps from Katia

 

I ATE and it was GREAT - recipe inspiration from the members


Alex cooked up some pulled pork.

Leslie made hamburgers.

Helen was away in England for most of the month and is looking forward to getting back in the kitchen.

Linda said, “I threw together a stir fry with hamburger, tofu, onions and broccoli. Inadvertently used the Worcestershire sauce I was making as a marinade! but it it was great.”

Jaleh made “a simple grilled steak with friends from out of town with big salad from our garden and grilled peaches for dessert. Finally felt like summer!”

Corrie loves steak tacos “So good!”.

Rachel made “Simple grilled lamb chops and steak! Just salt and pepper was all it took...”

Cody made carnitas with a pork shoulder roast.

Amelia threw together “simple steaks on the grill with grilled asparagus and roasted beets. I love getting to use our grill in the summer.”

Taylor savored “pork chops that weren’t dry!”

Kari cooked up some jerk chicken.

Vikki made campfire grilled lamb chops with rosemary garlic butter.

Summer enjoyed some New York steaks with blue Maui salt and crispy potatoes.

Glenn appreciated a quick pasta salad with chicken and garden veggies.

Jerry savored a perfectly grilled chicken.

CJ whipped up a chicken and white bean Mexican soup - “So easy, so good!”

Sara made lamb shanks with mustard and mint.

Jen crafted some Cuban-style mojo pork from a pork shoulder roast.

Kelly served up a carnitas burrito bowl.

Rachel made Chinese BBQ lettuce wraps.

Dzmitry crafted a quick stirfry with shaved frozen steak.

Kyle made marinated chicken tacos.

Molly prepped a beef chuck roast turned carnitas for tacos!

Ashley made a memorable roast chicken.

Katie made pulled pork in the instapot! It was so flavorful and yummy and perfect to pack for a quick easy dinner camping. “I use a dry rub on the roast and then a 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cup of water in the insta and it is just magical over a large bed of cabbage slaw!”

Jessica served up beef asada strips for tacos, marinated in a spicy orange mix!

David was all about the burgers, burgers, burgers!

Marielle cooked up a whole roast chicken on the grill.

Emily made hot dogs with homemade sourdough buns and homemade date sweetened ketchup.

Jamie savored a Japanese style beef stew with kale, carrots, onions, celery, Japanese sweet potatoes, white wine, and mirin.

Lauren made burgers that hit the spot!

Bronwen served up spaghetti with pork meatballs.

Jerrett made carne asada tacos.

Tyler enjoyed some smoked pulled pork sandwiches w/ Carolina BBQ sauce & cabbage slaw

Elena made a whole slow cooker chicken.

Liz served up some nachos with pulled pork - “a staple around here!”

Toni prepared salted New York steak with sugared strawberries. Also, egg cups with country sausage & cheese :)

And Kate made the all-time summer favorite - burgers!


Meet The Member: Marielle

Meet CSA Member Marielle

I want to introduce you to Marielle. She is a newer member to the CSA but is in no way a newbie to local food. Her personal and work history reflect the kind of thoughtful, intentional, and locally minded person she is. 

Intertwined with a rich personal history of local food connections and a work history focused on food health initiatives, Marielle has a unique perspective and insights into what it means to support local food systems. 

I will start our Meet the Member Intro in her own words:

I've had a very long-standing interest in food. I grew up both in the United States and in France. My mom was French. We learned to eat with the seasons and with whatever was available at the market. There was a big emphasis on eating well and sourcing your food correctly. 

I moved back to the states after living in France, and that continued to be an emphasis for me. I lived in Portland for about 20 years and there I got to really connect with local food because there's such an emphasis on that in the valley. 

Six years ago, I moved to Bend, and I was very interested in local food. I was switching careers from being a laboratory scientist, to connecting with the food system. I actually did some work with the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA). I started to do work with the Veggie Rx* program here in Central Oregon.

I joined the Bend Farmers Market* Board. I continue to remain interested in local food, food access and quality of food. It’s a really big part of the person I am. I cook a lot. I am still very connected with that world.

Joined

2021

Location

Bend

Type of Share

#10 with lamb upgrade

Connecting with Double F Ranch Meat CSA

Marielle was searching for a way to source her meat locally. Originally Marielle came across the Double F Ranch Meat CSA on the HDFFA local food directory. Other members have mentioned finding the CSA on this directory too. It is a valuable resource to those in Central Oregon who are looking to support the local food system.

She was interested in the CSA model in lieu of other options like purchasing a quarter cow which would have required a chest freezer. The idea of having 10 pounds of meat a month with variety was ideal and perfect for her family of two.

The Double F Ranch Meat CSA stood out because of the reputation HDFFA already had in local agriculture.

““I felt first of all that there’s some trust there in having that connection with an organization that is really focused on local food and really supporting the food system.””

HDFFA’s mission has always been to

“Support a healthy and thriving food and farm network in Central Oregon through education, collaboration, and inclusion. We believe that everyone deserves good food.  We define good food as affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food that is easily accessible and sustainably produced in Central Oregon.”

Double F Ranch supports this vision. As HDFFA partners, Nathan and Katia follow the business pledge to uphold those practices, Katia also advocates for local producers as a member of the agricultural advisory committee, and serves as mentor in the Growing Together Mentorship Program* for new farmers and ranchers.

Transition Into The CSA

Joining the CSA was a seamless process. Marielle cooks the majority of the meals in her household. While her spouse doesn’t mind eating the same things over and over, Marielle likes a diverse range of foods. The CSA provides the opportunity to try new meals, cuts, and the ability to mix and match every month.

“What I love about the CSA is it’s super practical for the end-user. Honestly, I think they’re doing a lot of work upfront to make it as easy as possible for the end-user, and I really appreciate that.”

Marielle finds the CSA to be consistent with the way her and her spouse live their lives.

Blending A Scientific Background With A Passion For Food And Health

Marielle is a scientist, an immunologist, by training. Six years ago when she left Portland, she closed down her lab and was looking to retool her career in Bend. She was very passionate about food and although she loved cooking, she did not want to make it a career. She dove deeper into the ways she could use her scientific background alongside her passion for food and health.

She contacted HDFFA and found they were interested in starting to connect with healthcare through the Veggie RX program. In a Veggie RX program, vouchers are typically issued to patients who are food insecure and have a diet modifiable disease. This removes barriers that enable participants to access to fresh produce.

Marielle became involved as an independent contractor with writing grants and helping to develop the Veggie Rx program in Bend. Eventually she became the evaluator for the program, creating the metrics to determine how effective the program was. For four years she ran the research study.

During that time the program grew to Prineville and in collaboration with the VA. The research study found that the majority of program participants felt the Veggie Rx program was effective in helping them improve their health. On average, participants increased their fresh produce intake by over 1 cup per day and they experienced less food insecurity.

Unfortunately that program has come to an end. Scaling up and making a food program sustainable requires a systematic approach built on layers of support across a community. Helping to increase healthy food access requires a locally minded, ingrained food philosophy within communities.

Food Is Medicine 

As Marielle talked about her work with the Veggie RX program, she mentioned her philosophy that “food is medicine” and I asked her to expand a bit more on this. As she stated,

I'm a biologist by training and so as a result I really tend to think of us as creatures of the land. Our needs are met by having the most healthy and sustainable practices. 

So food is medicine for me isn't just about: 

“I’m gonna go ahead and buy this broccoli at the grocery store.” 

No, it starts way earlier. It starts with how the food is grown and the soil that the food is grown in. How we're treating the land, then how we're growing the food, and then eating that food.

Food is medicine is really about eating whole foods that are not processed, foods that come from the land and animals. Animals that are raised or grazed on farms in a way that sustains its healthy ecosystem. The animals that are grown in those places are also contributing to the quality of the soil rather than destroying the soil.

Food is medicine really is a big picture thing for me.

Every time we eat is an opportunity to sustain ourselves. It gives you the ability to function at your peak. So if we're putting unhealthy food into our body, we're not running at capacity physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Food as medicine for me, is about maintaining that whole ecosystem and really feeling good about what you're putting into your body, feeling engaged in the world, and in my life and in my body. 

I need to fuel properly. A lot of that is eating what comes from the earth. As a result of being omnivores, we eat both veggies and meat. If those are grown in the best way possible, they have the highest nutritional capacity and they help sustain us.

Prioritizing Local Agriculture

I personally found it interesting to hear Marielle’s experience of local food in France. She shared that there is a very strong emphasis on food, the quality of the food, and food access. Most every day you shop for your food and farmers markets are plentiful, carrying everything you would need for a full meal. 

There is also a big focus on eating seasonally with some food items only grown in certain areas of France. This strong network of local agriculture thrives and benefits the consumer, the land, and the food system. 

Each step of the way, from her time in France, to her time working as a scientist, to her work with HDFFA, Marielle’s food philosophy has only been strengthened. 

“If you’re really interested in maintaining the health of your food system, farm direct is the way to go. Because then the farmer or the rancher or whoever the producer is gets all of the profits. There’s not a middle person.

This is really important because that money goes back into their pockets so that they can maintain this really healthy food production process.”

In prioritizing local agriculture, Marielle has found it is very grounding and inspiring.

“I personally go to the farmers market for inspiration because I just love to see what’s new, and I get so excited with what I can cook.

Even when I was at my peak of working like a madwoman, I still would go to the market because it was such a balm. It’s like, wow, back to the earth. This is stuff that really sustains me.

It inspires me to stay cooking at home, and so whether that comes through your CSA or through your fresh food at the market, it’s inspirational.””

Final Thoughts

“I’m very new to the CSA, but I feel like Nathan and Katia are really looking out for us as consumers. I’m very happy to support them because they support us as eaters and also in the way that they’re careful.

I think they are super thoughtful about how they’re putting this together. I mean, honestly, I haven’t seen another model like this. It’s very special. They’re listening to people. I think it’s a great system.””