Not just a tree grows in Brooklyn; apparently, a demand for fresh local produce does too.

Bed-Stuy Farm Share, a part of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project made its first delivery of the season Wednesday night in Bed-Stuy, doling out the latest bounty of organic goods to its members.

“We just don’t have a lot of access to healthy food for cheap. We don’t have a lot of access to having relationships with our farmers,” said Henry Harris, a volunteer at the Bed-Stuy Farmshare.

The CSA offers Bed-Stuy residents and other consumers access to organic fruit and vegetables through a local farmshare. Residents pool their money to buy local, seasonal food directly from farmers of color in upstate New York and Vermont.

Eating well and knowing where my food comes from is significantly important to me, and I’m not alone. I subscribe to the CSA, along with several other Bed-Stuy residents. But as this is my premier stint with a CSA, I didn’t really know what to expect.

Wednesday, I finally found out, and I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Bins with leafy vegetables were sprawled on tables and bagged and bundled in front of Tin City on Lewis Avenue. The store allows the farmshare to operate on its sidewalk every Wednesday for the next 5 months. There are two other additional locations for pick up on Wednesdays and a Saturday pick up at the Bed-Stuy YMCA.

“It’s very exciting!  It seems like a full spread of not only greens but turnips, some scapes that I have no idea, I’ve never cooked with them before, but I’m excited to try," said Holly Hobart who, like myself, was picking up her produce for the first time as well. "Everything looks delicious, it’s super convenient, and I’ve already met a lot of nice people. “

We all sort through uber-new vegetables. Their freshness is evident by some wiry roots and speckles of dirt and mud. The sharp snap of chlorophyll and woodsy green is soothing to me. I picked up turnips, lettuce, oregano, bok-choy, all of which varies with each season. I look forward to that variety. You get what you get.

The deadline has passed to join. But here’s what you need to know for the next growing season: The local farmers offer a certain number of "shares" to the public. Right now, Melissa Danielle who is a core volunteer for the CSA says there are 166 shares currently sold.  Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included, like fruit and organic eggs which carry an additional fee but in my opinion are well worth the splurge for the quality, taste and nutrition.   

It can be a win-win situation for farmers and consumers. The price depends on what you get and how often (the breakdown is on their site). There are options for low-income households and pubic assistance food benefits are accepted as payment.  The price is competitive but you feel good about where your money is going and what you are getting.  

“I know these farmers, and they’re living hand to mouth, they’re making a buck off this. They’re getting it here as cheap as they can," said Mr. Harris. "The people who are selling the food are volunteering, so they’re not even getting paid to be the middle man, the grocery story, outlet role, so if you’re talking about fair, hell ya!”

Another Bed-Stuy resident is a veteran of the CSA which has been running for six years. “I love the neighborhood, I’ve been here for three years now so it’s all about support," said Valincy Patelli. Her favorite part? “The fruit, the berries in the beginning and then later in the season, it’s just greens. You get a lot of Swiss chard, kale, and the eggs I love,” she raved.

The one downside and accepted risk is that you never know if there will be bad weather or some catastrophe to cause a poor crop season. But all the benefits outweigh it for me, not to mention the CSA’s 200 members and team of volunteers who keep it running.

I’m sticking with it, and I'm figuring out how many ways I can prepare organic turnips.