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Monday, January 7, 2008
Lauren Melodia
Have you seen an eggplant before? What about an acorn squash? I have, and you may have, too. But Lauren Melodia has found a lot of people who haven't.

In an effort to help her community eat healthier and fresher foods, she started a Community Supported Agriculture project. Every week, Melodia gives Bedford-Stuyvesant residents the opportunity to buy food they can't get anywhere else in their Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood: fresh produce. She encourages her neighbors to stop eating food out of a box that has ingredients they can't pronounce.

CSAs are popping up countrywide because they're a mutually beneficial partnership between a local farm and a community. The residents provide a stable financial base for the farm. In turn, the farm provides affordable produce for the people -- food they might have never seen before, but can certainly pronounce.

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Posted 1:11 PM
11 Comments Add a comment
we all sit and express our emotions, our opinions, and share our thoughts. this is amazing and it is at it`s best what we live and fight for. (I hope) the question is who are you and more importantly what would you do to keep it. I myself have 2 things to lose-everything and nothing. age and wisdom have the answer to this. i will not lose anything, and i will fight to lose nothing. please wake up, you earned it.
Posted By Anonymous kenny1968 :January 7, 2008 11:42 PM ET  
that's awesome. i hope she continues her effort to help her local residents eat healthier... but i don't know if i ever would eat acorn squash, or maybe i would?
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 8, 2008 5:15 PM ET  
I'm not clear how this operation is financed. If this women is handing out free vegetables, who is paying the farmers to grow them? I would love to start something like this at my school. Inner city youth have very little knowledge of fresh fruits and vegetables. This could help curb obesity in our country.
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 10, 2008 7:10 AM ET  
sorry but I fail to see this as being amazing. I too would be interested in who is financing and organizing the operation. I doubt a person can simply carry all the goods to this place by herself. not impressed, work has little impact.
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 10, 2008 7:55 AM ET  
I think this is great. Taking the initiative to do something like this is not easy. Most people just sit and think how they can do something good for the world and what they can do with their passion. Lauren just took the first small step. Sure it takes research and a lot of hard work to pull all strings to make it happen, but lets not be negative! This is not easy. I think Lauren's efforts are commendable and inspiring! Way to go girl! Keep going...
Posted By Anonymous Sonia :January 10, 2008 9:27 AM ET  
How the program works is explained here ---> http://bedstuycsa.wetpaint.com/page/About+the+Bed-Stuy+CSA

Basically, people buy into the farm during late winter, early spring. The money is used to purchase seeds and labor.

In return, they get a share of the farm's harvest each week from June through October (20-22 weeks).

Actually, it seems like a great idea.
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 10, 2008 10:25 AM ET  
I've been a part of Hellgate CSA for three years now (in Queens, NY - www.hellgatecsa.com), and have been greatly impacted by the concept of community supported agriculture. I met Lauren a few months ago at a Just Food conference (www.justfood.org), and am impressed by the dedication of people like her to coordinate getting farmers connected with communities like hers and mine. It's no easy task, especially when done in your spare time (yes - most CSAs are 100% volunteer run). Congratulations to Lauren and Bed-Stuy CSA for being featured!
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 13, 2008 7:32 AM ET  
I think this is a great thing for the farmers and the communities. For Lauren and others to do this on a volunteer basis is amazing and to be commended. Maybe if it was real cheap I'd learn to like an eggplant:) I just discovered I like curried butternut squash soup, so I'm all for broadening our horizons in regards to using farm fresh produce when we can. One thing that drives me crazy at the grocery store is that produce is so costly! This would be really helpful.
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 23, 2008 8:29 AM ET  
Vegetables truly are not that costly when you break it down. I buy a couple of broccoli crowns, one large carrot, one Italian Squash, and one red pepper all for less than $5. I cut it up and boil them with some curry sauce and add a few chicken tenders and serve with brown rice. This is enough for two meals. Isn't this cheaper and healthier then a combo meal from a fast food place?
Posted By Anonymous Missy, Los Angeles, CA :January 29, 2008 8:59 AM ET  
I commend this young lady. I have traveled overseas for 10 years now, you wouldn't believe how many Americans didn't know what whole foods looked like. There were Peace Corps volunteers depressed and wasting away because they didn't know how to eat foods that weren't canned washed, or cut. Many couldn't identify a single herb in its whole form. Some of the older Americans were just the same. I think this is the worst addicition of all - processed food. Veggies are inexpensive and so diverse, I would love to spread the word in my area and am so proud of Melodia- YOU ROCK and you save lives!
Posted By Anonymous Madam1 :January 29, 2008 1:36 PM ET  
To those who wonder how one could give out free produce...

Maybe if you acutally read the description, "Melodia gives Bedford-Stuyvesant residents the opportunity to BUY food they can't get anywhere else..."
Posted By Anonymous Anonymous :January 31, 2008 8:17 AM ET  
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