Skip to Content

Newsletter Story

Looking for more? See the CSA Newsletter Archives
Agave Pantry – Hand-crafted caramels

November 5, 2023

Having grown up in Karachi, Pakistan (a city of over 14 million people), Shazieh Gorji missed the spontaneity of the community she knew so well as a child. “People would just show up at your house,” she said, “whether you liked it or not!” Shazieh moved to Tucson in 2012 and appreciated the “space” that… Read more »

Oatman Farm – White Sonora Wheat Berries

November 8, 2021

Back in the summer of 2007 we puzzled over our first ever share of Wheat Berries. Grown as an experiment by Crooked Sky Farmer Frank Martin, the whole wheat grains that are the mother grain from which pasta, bread, and flour are derived, were unfamiliar to most of us. We mulled through recipes and exchanged… Read more »

A Personal Story About Epic Chocolates

It was in 2005 that I found and joined the Tucson CSA.  It was a revelation:  the food was so fresh, it stayed alive in my refrigerator as long as my own homegrown produce.  There were other foods to buy, such as Josh’s eggs and goat cheese from Black Mesa Ranch.  When I went to… Read more »

Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement

September 6, 2021

Dr. Monica M. White teaches courses in environmental justice, urban agriculture, and community food systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the first African American woman to earn tenure in both the College of Agricultural Life Sciences and the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Her research investigates Black, Latinx and Indigenous grassroots organizations… Read more »

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles

We’ve been getting a lot of cucumbers in our CSA shares this summer! While cucumbers make for great dips, salads, and crunchy-cool snacks, it can sometimes be difficult to finish your fourth giant Armenian cucumber in a row. That’s where refrigerator pickles come in – refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make and don’t… Read more »

Microgreens in the CSA Shop

One of the first things that Kyle from Blanrock Farm will tell you is that he produces microgreens – not sprouts. There is plenty of dialogue to be found if you simply google microgreens vs sprouts (see a summary of the differences below). What Kyle can tell you is that he is committed to producing… Read more »

Asian Pears from Aravaipa Farms

You know you are about to experience something quite special when the pavement ends and the canyon opens up below you. Just about 1.5 hours north of central Tucson past the historic towns of Oracle and Mammoth, you find the unassuming turn-off to the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness West Entrance…and the Aravaipa Farms Orchard & Inn.… Read more »

sourdough bread
Oatman Farms

August 23, 2021

Whether you’re a longtime baker or just starting out, Oatman Farms’ baking mixes are a wonderful local addition to your pantry. Oatman Flats Ranch is is a family-owned Arizona farm that uses regenerative and organic farming practices to grow heritage climate-adapted crops. Those crops, like White Sonora Wheat and Blue Beard Durum, are then used… Read more »

The Magical Fruit

Late summer brings with it a variety of delicious beans that can be prepared and enjoyed in many different ways. From long beans to bumpy beans, purple beans to classic green beans, these seasonal delights are the perfect way to add some crunch and fiber to your next meal. This year, Farmer Frank and his… Read more »

Tucson CSA Now Accepts SNAP/EBT

August 15, 2021

There’s a new way to buy local food at Tucson CSA! We now accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/EBT cards for food items in the CSA Shop. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is proven to be the most effective food assistance benefit program for reducing hunger. Accepting SNAP allows us to make the local,… Read more »