Newsroom – California State University, Northridge

Local Farm Offers Healthy Alternative to CSUN Students, Staff

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Jul. 20th, 2010) ―

To paraphrase that famous gourmand, Garfield the Cat, “vegetables are a must on a diet.” While Garfield preferred “carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie,” Cal State Northridge officials are offering the faculty, staff and students healthier options.

Beginning this month, CSUN students, staff and faculty can start getting fresh fruits and vegetables delivered straight to them.

CSUN’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program will have boxed fruits and vegetables from Underwood Farms in Moorpark delivered to Northridge on Tuesdays. Participants in the program will pick up their personal boxes during predetermined time slots on Tuesday afternoons near the Matador Bookstore.

Members receive a weekly shipment of seasonal fruits and vegetables. The mix of what’s in the box will depend on the season and the selection could be governed by any farming challenges that may occur, such as bad weather.

Two box sizes are available. The small box, priced at $15, will contain a variety of seasonal produce suitable for a two-person household for about one week. The small box may not always include fruit, but will whenever seasonably possible, particularly in spring and summer. The large box, priced at $20, consists of a variety of seasonal veggies and always includes fruit. It is usually sufficient for a family of four for a week.

“This is the first Community Supported Agriculture program in CSUN history and has rapidly generated a large number of members in just a matter of weeks,” said Jenna Jackson, project manager for CSA at Cal State Northridge’s Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. “The Marilyn Magaram Center’s number one priority is to promote health awareness on campus and through CSA, we are able to do just that. We are truly honored to be a part of such a successful and economical program.”

Underwood Family Farms CSA members also will receive periodic newsletters with updates from the farm and recipes.

The CSA program is coordinated by the Marilyn Magaram Center and supported by CSUN’s Institute for Sustainability.

For more information on the program, visit the Underwood Family Farms website at http://www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com/CSA_Program.html.

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