Clagett Farm

For the last few years we have been members of the Clagett Farm. By purchasing a share in the winter for the upcoming growing season we become members for the entire season. Every week we receive a portion of the harvest.

Clagett Farm is a CSA–Community Sustainable Agriculture. CSA's are to Supermarkets what Netflix are to Blockbusters. That is to say a move that hopefully contributes to the lessening of importance that supermarkets have on our contemporary settings. Farmer's Markets offer positive alternatives to Supermarkets, however CSA's take the arrangement a bit further. They assure not only extremely local produce but extremely seasonal as well.

Many times Clagett offers us ingredients outside of what we would usually buy. In other words you receive only what the farmer can make happen that week and yes you do have some input by suggesting to the farmer things to grow. But ultimately we are never sure what is going to be at our pick up spot each week and that is when we are able to create outside our usual selves and we find this exhilarating.

Clagett Farm is owned and operated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and also works in collaboration with the Capital Area Food Bank. The farm is dedicated to providing food to people of all income levels. In addition to the regular share they offer about half of their shares for free or at a reduced price.

During the local growing months what we eat and cook is influenced by what we get from both our share and our garden. This goes for both family meals and Home Restaurants. Today after picking up our share we began planning the menu for this Friday's Home Restaurant which will include everything we got today–– 8 ball squash, red potatoes, eggplant and okra. This in addition to produce from our garden and other farmers will make the meal.

Right now we are thinking the 8-ball squash and eggplant will become part of a ratatouille, the potatoes will be served with the final savory course of meat and the okra will be roasted and served passed as guests arrive, in the garden if the weather is nice. However this may change as we gather our other ingredients.

We still have a few spaces left for Friday night. Let us know if you can make it!