Arganica Buying Club

Hello all. My brother-in-law, Tim, mentioned that the blog has been slow, so here I am. I have been working, traveling, writing, etc., but the photos and stories are piling up, so here we go...

I recently joined LivingSocial, which advertises deals in one's city. I received an email about a deal for shares of the Arganica Farm Club, and I knew joining LivingSocial was meant to be! Given that I get around on foot or on public transportation, I have been yearning for a better way to get my groceries - and worrying about their origins at the same time. In Massachusetts, I have been spoiled by my lovely family that carpools to the farm and a winter vegetable share that is practically delivered to my door. And now - tah dah! - vegetables, meat, milk, and eggs are delivered to my door in Bethesda!

Arganica is not a CSA ("Community Shared Agriculture"); rather, it is a buying club where members can order what they want each week. So, each week I can order a box of fruits and vegetables assembled by Arganica, or I can choose what I want from the weekly list. I was somewhat disappointed in the weekly box because it was extremely small for $25 (one banana? one pear? what family can live on that? Check out what we get for a similar price from our New England share here), and most of the listed products are very expensive. I have streamlined a bit and now buy the less expensive, seasonal and local vegetables, as well as milk, eggs, and sometimes meat. Most of these products come from Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia, which makes me happy...and did I mention they deliver to my door? And the groceries come in that fetching white, hand-made wooden box?

I think this will satisfy me for the next few months, but I do prefer the CSA model to the buying club. While some people might feel constrained by the seasonal vegetables and fruit provided by a CSA, I love the challenge of finding new ways to cook things and the deep satisfaction of committing to a farmer.