Although I've only been a CSA member of Oxbow for the past couple of months, I'm in love with the weekly brilliant rainbow of beautiful organic produce, fresh from the field and dotted with water droplets. If you've eaten at any good restaurant in Seattle that emphasizes seasonal and local food, you've probably seen Oxbow's goods on the menu, and nibbled them from your plate in delight.
After having used a local produce delivery service for a while, I decided it was time to take the full CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) plunge and put my money where my ethiculinary mouth is. Oxbow's produce is almost entirely grown on site, is organic and certified Salmon Safe, and their growing season is twenty weeks from June through October. This year they've incorporated four weeks of a winter share as an extra option, and I'm so thrilled that I'll have an extra month of this lovely goodness!
You can select a Family or Small Share; the larger is $30/week, and the smaller is $20/week. There are occasional add-ons you can purchase, as well as a separate Fruit Share. While Oxbow doesn't deliver to the door, they have about twenty pick-up points around the greater Seattle area (and you only need to get ten shareholders together to establish your own): one of the reasons I prefer this option is because it can be difficult to get a delivery driver into a secured building, so having a pick-up point actually works much better and provides greater ease.
And did I mention the produce is gorgeous? There's no thrill like slicing into a little red potato and seeing a purple-flecked center ringed with gold, or seeing chard ribs so deeply scarlet they seem to generate their own deep light, or blending tomatillos and onions into a bright green and utterly addictive salsa. It's a thrill to visit Oxbow itself (as we did today to pick out a couple of pumpkins!) and see the dirt that grows this and the people who tend it. So grateful....
If you're someone who needs to do last-minute changes, or travels frequently and must put deliveries on hold, Oxbow might not the best; you can change your pick-up point with enough advance notice, but you can't be reimbursed for a missed week (although you could certainly get a friend to benefit from your absence and take it instead!). I'm fine with that; it's the price you pay for being fully committed to the CSA model and supporting a small local farm that can't afford the trappings of a bigger (and less local) operation. They, in turn, support back by donating extra produce to local centers and having volunteer gleaning days a couple of times a year.
Bottom line? Signing up with Oxbow has been a beyond-perfect decision. I can't say enough about how wonderful their ethic AND their produce is...but my kitchen, palate, and satisfied guests can tell the tale. read more