Tag Archives: CSA

20 ways to be an empowered citizen, empowered consumer

I was sitting in a class on how to build support for making social change, and one of the discussions we had is a comparison of the differences between the civil rights era environment and today’s civic environment.  This made my mind leap into making a list of a score of dozen ways to be an empowered citizen and an empowered consumer.

Writing this post, I realized that this list is a micro version of Gandhi’s Constructive Program. In the period between civil Disobedience Campaigns, Gandhi kept his followers engaged and progressing by building a sustainable community-based economy to replace the imperial system which oppressed them.

Making organic mashed potatoes with Kimberly #...
Making organic mashed potatoes.
  1. Buy local, organic, and fair trade.
  2. Move your money to a credit union.
  3. Drink more water, but not bottled.
  4. Have a car-less day.
  5. Throw out your TV.
  6. Grow a garden.
  7. Share hand-me-downs.
  8. Use your library.
  9. Support local arts.
  10. Make your own music.
  11. Support local and independent media.
  12. Only donate to nonprofits where you know how the money is being used.
  13. Only support candidates and political parties who don’t take corporate donations.
  14. Teach people how to write-in on the ballot when they don’t like the choice of candidates.
  15. Cook family meals at home.
  16. Oppose war.
  17. Oppose insurance companies and support single payer health insurance
  18. Spend less
  19. Barter
  20. Join a CSA {Community Supported Agriculture].

Opening a CSA Greenhouse: Biophilia

Biophilia CSA: Greenhouse in March2013
Biophilia CSA Greenhouse

We recently posted on our sister site about going to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Fair to join a farm. That post can be found at CSA’s on Long Island: Photos from a NOFA event.   We joined a local CSA named Biophilia.

By joining a CSA, you pay for a share which entitles you to a portion of the vegetables harvested during a season.  Many CSA’s, including the one we joined, are organic.  It is a way to support local farmers directly and get fresh produce.

Many CSA’s take the “community” part very seriously by having events throughout the growing season for the members to participate.  At Biophilia, we helped out at the opening of the greenhouse  by planting seed flats.

The farmer had mentioned that the name Biophilia was taken from a book by Edward O. Wilson, but Susannna had noticed that the farm’s name had the farmer’s name in the middle of it.  Coincidence?

We got to choose what vegetable we wanted to plant. Farmer Phil made the mistake of asking my favorite food. Continue reading Opening a CSA Greenhouse: Biophilia