Food is at the very heart of living sustainably.  Access to fresh, nutritious food is critical to a healthy life.  And as more people question the health of our industrialized food system there has been a gradual turn away from it and a search for healthy substitutes.  This has been demonstrated thru the rise of organic labels and a return to the fresh and local.  This includes opting for food that is grown without toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and free of chemical additives, artificial flavorings and preservatives, growth hormones, etc.  Eating local not only reduces the carbon footprint of the food chain and puts money back into your local economy, but also gives you the opportunity to know where that food is coming from and how it is produced.   Take the opportunity to talk to your local farmers and food vendors and learn how they are a part of a sustainable solution.

Issues

• Food Quality
  • GMOs (and labeling)
  • Organic
• Food Security
• Industrial Agriculture
  Most of the food in the US today is produced using industrialized agriculture methods. Industrial livestock operations (factory farms) and industrial crop production degrade the environment and are unsustainable.  The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers destroy the soil and wildlife, while the use of antibiotics raising farm animals and genetic engineering that uses chemical pesticides threatens public health.
• Buying local
  Buying local produces multiple benefits including reducing fossil fuel consumption, and promoting the local economy by supporting local farmers, which in turn  helps  to recreate of a sense of community.  Learning how your food is produced is also a result of a closer interaction with your local farmer.

 

CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)

What is a CSA? It is a group of individuals who purchase a membership in a local farm in order to obtain a weekly share of its anticipated harvest. Members pay at the beginning of the season and thus provide stability for the farmer and also share in the risk (and benefits) of his harvest. For more details see the following video from YouTube:

Nearby CSAs Include:
(If you know of additional CSAs in our area, please let us know)

Allies Farm
Mercer County Park Old Trenton Road, West Windsor 609.509.0817

Appelget Family Farm
135 Conover Rd., West Windsor 609.902.8372

Cherry Grove Organic Farm Certified Organic

Chickadee Creek Farm certified organic and certified transitional* vegetable, flower and herb farm.

Griggstown Quail Farm and Market CSA
986 Canal Road, Princeton 908.359.5218

Honey Brook Organic Farm Certified Organic
260 Wargo Road, Pennington 609.737.8899

Orchard Farm Organics Certified Organic
1052 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton 609.466.1365

Sansone’s Farm Market
245 Lambertville-Hopewell Rd., Hopewell 609-466-1323

Windy Acres Farm
214 Windsor Rd., Robbinsville 609.722.2122

Z Food Farm
3501 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville 609.610.4909

List of New Jersey CSAs from the Organic Consumers Association

Local Farms

BeechTree Farm – a Hopewell farm that sells their grassfed beef directly to consumers, as well as pork, lamb and free range eggs.
105 Crusher Road, Hopewell. NJ

Blue Moon Acres Pennington Farm that grows organic vegetables with a lovely store for buying local organic produce.
11 Willow Creek Drive, Pennington, NJ 08534

Cherry Grove Organic Farm Grass-fed beef and sheep with an onsite creamery and cheeses.
11 Carter Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 609.306.5139

Chickadee Creek Farm A certified organic and certified transitional vegetable, flower and herb farm. The transitional label refers to a 3 year process of organic certification.
80 Titus Mill Road, Pennington, NJ 08534 609.462.3854

Lee Turkey Farm Roadside market and Pick Your Own Offerings
Open: May – Dec., Mon – Sat. 9 am – 6 pm, Sun. 2 pm – 6 pm
201 Hickory Corner Rd., East Windsor, NJ

Terhune Orchards Has organic certification by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for 8 acres of the farm. Lovely farm store and a great farm experiences for the family. Open year round.
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 609.924.2310

Z Food Farm Certified organic vegetables
3501 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 609.610.4909

Local Farmers Markets

Trenton Farmers Market
Our Trenton Farmers Market on Spruce Street has a long history. The facility has indoor stalls with overhead doors and hosts over 40 local vendors. The Market sells fresh meats, baked goods, poultry, plants, flowers, decorations, jewelry and even apparel in addition to the fresh fruits and vegetables from our local farmers. It is open all year. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9AM to 6PM
Location: 960 Spruce Street Lawrence Township, NJ 08648
Phone: 609-695-2998

Pennington Farmers Market
Active on Saturdays from June to October, 9am-1pm
Location: Rosedale Mills 101 Rt. 31 North, Hopewell Township
Phone: 609-737-0867

Princeton Farmers Market
An outdoor weekly market in the center of downtown Princeton near the library. The outdoor market opens Thursday, May 16th, from 11am to 4pm. They run indoor markets at the library during the winter. Check their website for availability.
Location: Hinds Plaza near the Princeton Public Library
Phone: 551-655-8095 or 609-924-8431

West Windsor Community Farmers Market
The West Windsor Community Farmers Market is an outdoor market located at the Vaughn Drive parking lot of the Princeton Junction train station off of Alexander Road within one mile of Route 1. It currently hosts 15 farms and 10 non-farm, artisan food vendors. It is open Saturdays from 9- 1 during the season until late November. The last Saturday of the 2013 season is November 23rd.
Location: at the Vaughn Drive parking lot of the Princeton Junction train station off of Alexander Road within one mile of Route 1.
Phone: (609) 933-4452 [Manager: Chris Cirkus] and email: wwcfm@yahoo.com

Hightstown Farmers Market
Location: Memorial Park (center of town), Hightstown
Open: June – Aug., Fridays, 5pm – 8pm

Robbinsville Farmers Market
Location: Rte. 526 & Hwy 33, Robbinsville
Open: June -Sept, Mondays, 3pm – 7:30pm