This was the third straight year AU has offered a subscription to community-supported agriculture, which, for $525, gives a subscriber 20 weeks of produce to feed a couple or small family. Offered by Fresh and Local CSA in West Virginia, program participants can pick up their deliveries every week in the AU tunnel.
"Buying local" means supporting small farms and preserving open spaces. It also reduces the use of fossil fuels used in the process of transporting food. Plus, you get the freshest food possible. And the organic aspect - well, simply put, you aren't ingesting harmful pesticides and, in turn, those pesticides are never released into the atmosphere during the farming process to begin with.
We came up with a few other ways you can buy local and organic stuff. From restaurants to farmers markets to grocery stores and food co-ops, there are plenty of ways of doing your part to help the environment - just in time for the Potomac growing season as well.
Washington's Green Grocer 301-333-3696 washingtonsgreengrocer.com
If AU's CSA is not an option for you, try this online Maryland-based food operation. Not quite a CSA and not entirely a food co-op, customers make online orders at varying price levels. You can choose to have a food delivery every week, every other week or choose from week to week whether you want it. They offer organic and local ingredients and throw weekly specials into the mix.
Coppi's Organic Restaurant 1414 U St. N.W. Metro: U Street/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) 202-319-7773 coppisorganic.com
Opened in 1993, this U Street staple serves the best in Northern Italian cuisine using the freshest organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and co-operatives. Pizza is the restaurant's specialty, but its "entrate" (appetizers), including its salads, are some of the menu's most locally sourced (and delicious). Coppi's has become a D.C. organic food-lover's lifeblood.
Freshfarm Farmer's Market 1500 block of 20th Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Q Street Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (red line) 202-362-8889 freshfarmmarket.org
Founded in 1997, Freshfarm brings the farmers market out of the farmlands and into the city with some of D.C.'s most popular locally sourced outdoor markets. The Dupont Circle location is particularly notable for its year-round hours, which others in the city lack. And as the city's oldest Freshfarm (there are now six), it is the premier D.C. farmers market. There is a strict producers-only policy, which means that the "middlemen" are cut out and shoppers buy directly from the farm. In addition, Freshfarm regulates product offerings to local-only produce, sourced entirely from the Chesapeake Bay region. Come April, you can also check out the Foggy Bottom and Penn Quarter markets, while the Silver Spring and H Street locations open in May. Go to freshfarmmarket.org for more information about producers as well as times, days and locations of each market.
7th Street Garden 1523 Seventh St. N.W. Metro: Shaw-Howard University (green and yellow lines) 202-441-9678 the7thstreetgarden.squarespace.com
So, you want to give back to the community while helping the growing urban-food production movement? This is the place to go. Founded on the principles of teaching disadvantaged D.C.-area community members how to produce their own food, Shaw's 7th Street Garden is still a fledgling entity - it's only been in existence for a year now. While the garden's bounty is reserved for qualifying Shaw residents, 7th Street is always happy to welcome "drop-in" volunteers. It's supporting local produce at the very base level.
Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar 223 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. Metro: Capitol Hill South (orange and blue lines) 202-544-8088 sonomadc.com
Sometimes local and organic can cost a pretty penny, but for something like Sonoma, it's more than worth it. Its menu consists of a wide array of local offerings. Co-owners Eli Hengst and Jared Rager stick to naturally raised and local-sourced ingredients as much as possible. It's a rare treat in a city often caught up in the indulgent lunching of Capitol Hill's mightiest.
Whole Foods 4530 40th Street NW Metro: Tenleytown-AU (red line) 202-237-5800 wholefoods.com
Yes, it seems obvious, but when you are looking for local produce at a Whole Foods store, you must have a discerning eye. As the growing season starts in the Chesapeake region, more and more local produce will become available. But that won't be for a few weeks yet, so keep watch of the produce tags - Whole Foods is very good about labeling its foods' sources. If the sign describes it as "conventional," it means it's not organic. Also, each label will tell you where in the world the food came from. Be it Chile or Maryland, there's quite an offering at Whole Foods. Buying things like dairy and honey are a good bet for local ingredients at any area organic market.
