Lafayette program brings fresh produce to local families

A new community-supported agriculture program is taking root in Contra Costa County.

Temple Isaiah, along with Gan Ilan Preschool and the Contra Costa Jewish Day School, has started a CSA with three local organic farms to serve more than 1,000 Jewish families in the community.

The CSA is open to temple members and nonmembers alike. On June 1, farmers delivered the first shipment of fresh produce to Temple Isaiah.

From now until the end of November, the CSA deliveries will be made every Tuesday. Participants can pick up their boxes between 3 and 7 p.m. at Temple Isaiah, 3800 Mount Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette.

CSA members have the choice of picking up a prepackaged box of produce or choosing their own fruits and vegetables farmers-market style. Participating farms are Free Wheelin’ Farm of Santa Cruz, Shooting Star CSA of Fairfield and Terra Bella Farms in Pleasanton.

Thanks to a grant from Hazon, a Jewish nonprofit that promotes sustainability, CSA members will be able to participate in social events and educational programming on sustainable agriculture starting this summer. This includes three Shabbat community meals made with ingredients from the CSA farm partners, field trips to the farms, improvements to the Gan Ilan garden, cooking classes and Torah study.

For information or to join, visit http://www.temple-isaiah.org or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).