Origins Farm: Grow Different

Shopping the Origins Farm market booth

We're excited to be partnering up with Origins Farm again this year to take part in their seasonal CSA program and share delicious, fresh recipes from the farm produce here on the blog. Today we're sharing a little bit of our own experience from trying our first market CSA and spilling the beans on a special early bird discount for the 2014 Origins Farm CSA you can take part in. Learn more about our background with Origins Farm, Alistar and Rebecca's farming practices and more reasons why we love these guys in this post from last summer.

Last season was our first time taking part in a farmer's market CSA share program and we feel like we learned so much from our experience.  CSA is simply an acronym for "community supported agriculture," where you typically pledge to support a farm upfront and reap the benefits of the produce throughout the growing season. We actually tried a couple different CSA formats last year and love the flexibility the Origins Farm program allowed. You get a pre-loaded card and can pick up produce from their farmer's market booths as you like, spending as much or as little as you want. You can choose anything from the selection available and if you aren't in town one weekend, you can just skip going to the market without having to make alternate arrangements for pickup. The membership card keeps track of the balance and gets debited each time you spend at one of the markets. The CSA season lasts from May all the way through December and the produce offerings vary beautifully as the seasons change, they even offer fresh eggs from the farm hens.

Now we are so ready for the return of spring when the markets are back in full swing and seasonal produce is abound.

mozzarella caprese quiche, made with Origins Farm produce and eggs

I particularly appreciated the flexibility to be able to go to any of the markets Alistar and Rebecca were at, since some days I might need something in the middle of the week that I forgot, didn't have time for or just didn't think of over the weekend. It even introduced me to the Byrd House Market, which I quickly fell in love with last season for being open on Tuesdays, and its family-friendly, laid back feel.

There's also some great news for those interested in signing up for the Origins Farm 2014 CSA — Alistar & Rebecca are offering an early-bird registration discount for their 2014 CSA share! You can get $100 off the full share option or $30 off the half share option when you register this January. Regular CSA share fees return in February, so it's a great time to take advantage if you are local to these Virginia markets. Learn more about the Origins Farm CSA program, its benefits and how to sign up here. Origins Farm will also be hosting a giveaway here on the blog for credit to use at the farmer's markets during the 2014 CSA season, so stay tuned as we get closer to spring!

Keep up with the full Origins Farm recipe series here and click on any of the recipe images below to see the full recipe post:

Stuffed Patty Pans

Eggplant Pizzas

Cinnamon Apple Rollups

Caprese Quiche

Butternut Waffles

Find Origins Farm on Facebook, Twitter and our personal favorite, Instagram. During the spring, summer and fall seasons, you can find them on Saturday's at the St. Stepehen's Market. On Tuesdays, you can find them at the Byrd House Market. Keep up with the farm going-ons by subscribing to their weekly newsletter here.

Have you ever tried a CSA or have a favorite produce farm in your area? We'd love to know what's working for you in the comments section below!

Discover More:

Origins Farm Recipes | All Recipes