By MARYJANE BUTTERS

Special to The Press

Do you know what a CSA is?

No, not the Confederate States of America. In my world, it means "Community Supported Agriculture" - aka a farm share. It's a great way to consume fresher and healthier food while supporting local farmers.

Here's how it works: You pay a subscription fee for a "share" of the farm, and the farmer or group of farmers will prepare a box of their freshest and best seasonal produce for you each week. The farmers get to secure customers and enhance cash flow early in the year, while the customers get high-quality produce, an adventure and a relationship with the growers of their food.

Not all CSA and farm-share programs provide certified organic produce, but many do. The ones that don't often employ organic practices but just can't afford the certification, or at a minimum, use integrated pest management. In all cases, though, you're getting food that was grown locally and picked when ready - meaning you get fuller flavor, higher vitamin content and the satisfaction of knowing that your food had the tiniest possible impact on the environment. You'll also get the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with helping small farms to stay viable.

And there are as many different CSA options out there as there are veggie lovers. Some CSAs drop the boxes at convenient pickup sites such as your local park district office or school gymnasium. Others often operate out of health food stores, or they may even deliver to your door. Some take the shared risk and shared rewards thing pretty seriously. In boon years, you may get far more produce than you ever bargained for, and during times of drought or blight, you may get very little. Other CSA programs diversify their portfolio of farms and have backup systems in place to ensure that you always get a full box. Some are produce only, while others may also offer dairy, meat, baked goods, flowers and farm-canned goods. Some publish the week's harvest online a few days in advance, and others let the contents remain a secret until you lift the box flaps and sigh with delight.

And when it is a surprise, it feels like opening a Christmas present every week. You're likely to encounter things you've never seen before. Or you'll get vegetables you've heard of, but don't know how to prepare, such as Jerusalem artichokes, foraged ramps or stinging nettles. Some programs may tuck recipes or serving suggestions into your box, but even if they don't, embrace your sense of adventure! It's great fun to go online and find an exotic new preparation method or crack open a dusty old farmhouse cookbook in search of culinary gold.

If you're new to the concept, you may be a bit overwhelmed at first by all the produce on your doorstep. But I hardly see "too many fresh veggies" as a reason to complain. Think of it as a challenge - to both your creativity and your lifestyle. Use fresh produce to replace processed snack food. Instead of serving chicken with rice and a paltry spoonful of reheated frozen vegetables, offer it with a baked sweet potato and a pile of sauteed kale. Is the week almost over, and you've got more chard than you know what to do with? Juice it with a few of those spare apples and serve it in an icy glass alongside breakfast. That butternut squash was too big for your family to finish off last night? Toss it into your scrambled eggs with some sage.

When you see the influx of fresh into your life as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, chances are you'll feel better, look better and spend less at the grocery store. And when you're eating seasonally (sorry - no tomatoes in December) you connect yourself to the cycle of life around you. It harmonizes you with others and with nature, and brings your body into balance with the earth you call home.

To get in on the fun and find a CSA near you, visit localharvest.org.

Copyright 2011, MaryJane Butters. Distributed by Universal Uclick for United Feature Syndicate Inc.