Food delivery: Local organic farm produce drop-offs gaining g...
Hello Visitor LOGIN OR REGISTER
HOME DELIVERY
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-csa-access-2010...
PERKS
ADVERTISE
JOBS
Health
Home
News
Julie's Health Club
Sports
Watchdog
HealthKey
Swine flu
Health A-Z
Wellness
Women
Men
HOMES
APARTMENTS
DEALS
MORE CLASSIFIED
76° F
Business
HEALTH COVERAGE: HealthKey
CARS
Entertainment
Nursing homes
Family
Aging
Fitness
Life
Health
Travel
Opinion
Search
Go!
Agent Orange
Health A-Z
Staying healthy
www.LivingSocial.com
Swine flu
Breast cancer
Diabetes
Ads by Google
Home > Health
Organic farm produce to show up in unlikely
spots this summer
Tollway oases among drop-off sites for expanding community supported
agriculture movement
Top health stories
Australia to sell logo-free smokes
Salt habit not easy to shake
Vitamin E may help liver disease
By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter
April 24, 2010
Topics
Companies and Corporations
Employees
Agriculture
See more topics »
ADS BY GOOGLE
Chicago 1-Day Coupons
Up to 90% off the best stuff to do!
Restaurants, spas, events & more
www.Groupon.com
"What People Say is True"
I'm cooking delicious food, eating well,
and love opening my box!"
www.Terra-Organics.com
E-mail
Print
Share
Text Size
Chris Ruder of Wicker Park wanted to eat more fruits and
vegetables. He wanted to support local organic agriculture.
And he wanted to know the person growing his food.
So, like thousands of Chicagoans, he bought a share in a
Midwest organic farm that would deliver weekly boxes of
produce to the city in an arrangement called communitysupported agriculture, or CSA.
"But the drop-off point was way on the North Side and at a time
that didn't work for me," Ruder said of his experience last year.
"And I figured if this was a hassle for me it must be a hassle for
other people too."
In winter, when the Microsoft employee was in a brainstorming meeting about making his office building
— the Aon Center — more green, Ruder suggested adding a CSA drop-off site. The committee loved the
idea, and this summer the city's third-tallest skyscraper will become a delivery point for boxes of local
organic produce more commonly dropped off on a neighbor's front porch or the local church.
Get more stories like this. Sign up for home delivery >>
In another sign that CSAs have moved beyond the hippie fringe, six of Illinois' tollway oases recently
announced they will host CSA drop-offs from Harvest Moon, Scotch Hill Farm and Triple A Farms
through the growing season. Harvest Moon will also serve Aon Center.
Around the Web
View of the Akira Spring Runway Show through the
eyes of the host
Eat This: Easy Chocolate Chia Superfood Pudding
Recipe
New Mexican Eatery Open in the Heart of River
North
Mother's Day Yoga Guide
Jim Slama, executive director of FamilyFarmed.org, said the developments reflect the growth of CSA in
the Chicago area. His nonprofit group, based in Oak Park, helped connect the oases and Aon Center with
potential farmers.
"When large-scale institutions like the Aon Center and the Illinois Tollway Authority begin to work with us
to expand CSA drop-off locations into high-traffic locations, it is a sign that this movement is expanding
into the mainstream," Slama said. "We hope this announcement will encourage other companies,
hospitals and schools to consider adding CSA drop-off spots."
Free Class of the Week: Core Yoga Sculpt
Sign up for the Deals & Steals newsletter >>
Restaurants have often supported CSA drop-offs, but this year SugarToad in Naperville has upped the
ante. It's offering social hours with free nibbles and recipes from chef Geoff Rhyne for customers picking
up their Genesis Growers and Slagel Family Farm deliveries.
Less obvious players in the produce-to-commuter equation are building managers. Aon's building
management company, Jones Lang LaSalle, was integral in setting up the CSA drop-off, and the tollway
oasis idea came from Sundee Wislow, the sustainability director for U.S. Equities, which took over
building management of the highway structures this year.
1 of 3
4/29/10 3:29 PM
Food delivery: Local organic farm produce drop-offs gaining g...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-csa-access-2010...
Wislow said she hopes the oasis drop-offs can serve suburbanites who drive the tollways but don't have
convenient CSA sites in their neighborhoods. CSA deliveries cost about $200 to $700 a growing season.
Avatar on DVD
Own the Avatar DVD for
$15.99
Wisconsin farmer Bob Borchardt, a former Chicagoan, will serve the oases and the Aon building with his
Harvest Moon Farms deliveries of seasonal produce along with additional shares of grass-fed beef,
free-range chicken, eggs from pastured chickens and organic flowers.
"We are big believers in the CSA model, but we also think this is a cool way to reach 6,200 people
working in a building," said Borchardt, who has set up sign-up tables at the Aon Center. Ads for his
service also are broadcast in the elevators. "We've never delivered to this kind of workplace, but we think
it's great that co-workers can get to know each other by, say, splitting a farm share for the season."
Clip & Print Coupons
Save on groceries, health
& beauty products,
professional services and
more!
In places where CSA is much more common, like Madison, Wis., some health insurers offer stipends of
up to $150 for signing up, on the theory that it will improve employee health.
Make travel plans
Slama is trying to organize a Chicagoland CSA network that would encourage local insurance companies
to do the same.
Daily deals from more than
1,000 leading travel
companies, confirmed for
accuracy & availability.
Whether these kinds of initiatives will produce more fruit and veggie eaters remains to be seen.
"We're hoping that will happen," Borchardt said. "In the fall I hope I'll have some numbers on how many
households we reached and how many trips to the grocery store we reduced with this new concept."
[email protected]
Get news, sports, and entertainment alerts on your mobile phone >>
Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune
ADS BY GOOGLE
Chicago 1-Day Coupons
Up to 90% off the best stuff to do! Restaurants, spas, events & more
www.Groupon.com
"What People Say is True"
I'm cooking delicious food, eating well, and love opening my box!"
www.Terra-Organics.com
Selected for you by a sponsor:
Is New Organic Beauty Label "Bogus"? (Real Beauty)
Buying Organic for Beginners (MyRecipes.com)
You might be interested in:
DeRogatis quits Sun-Times, doubles down on Chicago Public Radio (Tower Ticker)
Farm produce easier than ever to pick up for Chicago commuters (The Stew)
In Connecticut, Community-Supported Agriculture Gaining In Popularity (Chicago Tribune)
Raw milk: Personal decision or public danger? (Chicago Tribune)
E-mail
Print
Reprint
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Share
COMMENTS (2) | Add Comment
http://www.2shopping.biz
We need your support and trust!!!
free shipping
accept paypal credit card
lower price fast shippment with higher quality
our website: http://www.2shopping.biz
best quality guarantee!!
Safty & honesty guarantee!!
Fast & prompt delivery guarantee!!
Packing: All the products are packed with original boxes and tags also retro cards/ code
Your satisfaction is our eternal pursuit.
2 of 3
4/29/10 3:29 PM
Food delivery: Local organic farm produce drop-offs gaining g...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-csa-access-2010...
Features: AAA QUALITY, COMPETITIVE PRICE AND SERVICE
1) The goods are shipping by air express, such as EMS,the shipping time is in 5-7 business days
2) They are in stock now;
3) Various styles and color for clients' choice
4) The Products are fit for most people, because of our wholesale price
Tshirts (Polo ,ed hardy,lacoste) $16
New era cap $15
Air jordan(1-24)shoes $33
Handbags(Coach,ed hardy,lv,d&g) $31
Jean(True Religion,ed hardy,coogi) $30
Sunglasses(Oakey,coach,gucci,Armaini)$12
Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $21
http://www.2shopping.biz
High-Quality. Low Prices. First-class Service
dfjjk (04/26/2010, 9:40 AM )
Report Comment
Isn't the AON center the 4th tallest skyscraper, not the 3rd?
hank84 (04/26/2010, 8:32 AM )
Report Comment
Also on chicagotribune.com
Photos in the news
Mugs in the news
Celebrity sightings
Your travel photos
Spectacular Chicago
Home
Classified
About/Find
Perks
News
Sports
Skilling's weather
Traffic
Obits
Blogs
Columns
Newsletter/alerts
Video
Photos
TV listings
Movie listings
Event tickets
Apartments
Cars
Celebrations
Commercial
Dating
Deals
For Sale By Owner
Homes
Jobs
Mortgages
Obituaries
Pets
Public records
Contact Us
Web site feedback
Tips
Manage subscription
Advertise
Twitter
Trib Nation
News in Education
Our community
Our news focus
Photo store
Tribune store
ChicagoPOINTS
Newsletter/alerts
Tribune events
Printers Row Lit Fest
Contests & Sweeps
Puzzles
Coupons
Mobile/iPhone
RSS feeds
Read the Trib on Kindle
E-edition
Archives
Breaking
Chicagoland
Triblocal
Nation/World
Business
Health
Elections
Watchdog
Find data
Obits
Schools
Topics
Breaking
Bears
Blackhawks
Bulls
Cubs
White Sox
College
Soccer
Golf
Autos
Preps
Smack
Scores
PARTNERS: Chicago Magazine ChicagoNow CLTV Metromix RedEye Triblocal WGN Radio WGN-TV
Vivelo Hoy Baltimore Sun Daily Press Hartford Courant Los Angeles Times Orlando Sentinel Sun Sentinel
The Morning Call
Terms of service
Privacy
Feedback
Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
A Tribune Web site
3 of 3
4/29/10 3:29 PM