Making Local Organic Food Accessible Year Round
Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) with Keith Neu
by Christine Wood

Keith Neu, owner of Etomami Organics ECOFarm near Hudson Bay, SK, believes in healthy, natural, real food and has been making organic food accessible to Saskatchewan residents for several years. The first part of this article contains an interview with Keith by Tracy Friesen, owner of Crystal Cove, so she could learn more about the opportunity for purchasing fresh organic, locally-grown produce through his Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) farm. The last part provides news about some local organic products.

Tracy: I believe in providing healthy produce for my family and find it discouraging when some providers make healthy food unaffordable. Some grocery stores offer a range of organic food at somewhat reasonable prices, but I sometimes have to go to several stores to get what I want. When I first heard about your ECOFarm from WHOLifE Journal, I was curious. Your food is not only organic, but reasonably priced, and LOCAL! One of my biggest concerns is, what if my family doesn’t like the selection?

Keith: In larger centres, like Saskatoon and Regina, the food is laid out for you and you choose what you want. But maybe it’s time to get creative and try new things. Kale, for example, can be used in soups, smoothies, and as a healthy alternative to chips. Ever eaten kohlrabi? It tastes great raw and in soups.

Our bodies were designed to eat seasonally, so we make better use of the nutrients of foods grown in the region where we live. Although we now have access to almost every kind of food grown and flown in from every country, there are not only the obvious environmental factors to consider, we also need to be aware of the nutrient loss due to the lengthy travel time. It’s really worth taking the time to find out about how to cook with locally grown foods.

Tracy: How do I know how much produce I’ll be getting?

Keith: An average winter delivery provides each customer with about 7 lbs. of potatoes, 4 lbs. of carrots, 3 lbs. of beets, 2 lbs. of onions, 2 lbs. of parsnips, and more, along with several bags of frozen vegetables and some canned tomatoes. It’s a pretty good deal! In the summer months, there are two deliveries per month. Guaranteed, the organic section of your grocery store will not have this variety at these prices and be local!

Rather than buying groceries, what you are purchasing is a share in the farm. One share feeds one or two people. A family of four should get two shares.

By the way, the option to buy eggs, chicken, and beef is offered on the contract or directly from me on delivery day, if supply permits.

Tracy: What if you have a bad crop?

Keith: Weather can certainly play a role in how much or what is offered. Our farm has survived floods and droughts, but a hailstorm in the summer would greatly affect what the farm can provide. As a member of our farm, you reap the benefits of a good crop year but you should be aware of the possibility of a lack as well. In the event of a disaster like that, we would modify the payments to offset the lack of produce.

Tracy: What if I can’t make it on delivery day?

Keith: The delivery date (which is always on a weekend) is announced by e-mail at least a week beforehand. As part of the contract, it is the customer’s obligation to pick up the food on the designated day, but I understand this can be a problem for some.

I arrive in Melfort Friday afternoon, Saskatoon Saturday morning, Regina Saturday afternoon, and Canora on Sunday. (And you thought you had time constraints!) The best way would be to ask a friend to help you out. With the money you saved from taking several trips to the grocery store, maybe you can hire an errand service.

Tracy: Thank you for taking the time to clarify these things for me.

Keith: Thank you. When a customer signs up, it so much more than a transaction. I consider my members my farm family and you are all welcome to come out and visit. This is your farm, too.

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By the way, do you want an easy meal tip? Enhance your organic meals with organic spices, rather than factory-made ones. There is a great, local supplier right here in Saskatchewan—Splendor Garden. What could be easier than adding butter and an organic spice medley to your cooked vegetables? Here is their website—www.splendorgarden.com—for tasty and nutritious ideas.

Other great news to announce is that ECOFarm has recently paired up with locally-owned Wood’s Body Goods, so there will be local, healthy, natural, everyday body products available along with fresh produce. On delivery days, there will be deodorants (that work!), lip balms, and beer soaps available for purchase, and the prices will be discounted as a thank you for loyalty to the CSA farm.

To become a member of the CSA ECOFarm and/or to ask questions, contact Keith at km.neu@sasktel.net or visit www.saskecofarm.com.

Wood’s Body Goods, a local Aberdeen-based company, was started by Christine Wood who has been creating bath and body care products for over 15 years. The company is now in its second year, with the goal in mind of sharing the joy of natural skincare. Christine has given more than 100 events and presentations. She’s happy to be teaming up with Keith Neu in this new enterprise. To contact her, call (306) 715-9775, email: chris@woodsbodygoods.com, and visit www.woodsbodygoods.com.