I had some friends over for dinner the other night and I took the opportunity to serve up some socioeconomic agenda with the meal. My agenda was to let the others know that some of the food they were about to eat came from a local organic farm. There was the romaine lettuce and arugula used in the crab salad, baked sweet potatoes, and sliced English pears with the cheese course. All of which came last week in my delivery of organically grown local fruits and vegetables to my neighborhood.

My declarations at the dinner party got polite responses from my guests. Some of which were accompanied by an indulgent look that said "here goes the Noe Valley yuppie housewife" again. But I also got some reproachful outcries of "that's so expensive". They saw it as a luxury - a California dream. By the end of the dinner, I was feeling guilty. In these tight economic times, was it extravagant? Now I have begun to doubt my decision to sign up for several months of deliveries. So I have to ask myself, is it worth it, or isn't it?

To put my mind at ease, I decided to compare three of the baskets I had received so far from the organic farm to prices for the same items and quantities at Safeway. To be overly fair, I did not compare prices to organic items at Safeway but just their ordinary produce. The organic farm accumulative price is based on their "13 baskets for $228" deal. The results were as follows, comparing items found at a Safeway store. (Karen's subscription is the Baker's Dozen, so her average cost per week is $17.54).

A March box of potatoes, celeriac, swiss chard, navel oranges, green onions, grapefruit, turnips, lemon, mixed herbs, carrots, dried peaches, Safeway added up to $18.92. An October box of sweet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, radishes, eggplant, tomatillos, green peppers, herbs, melon and apples, Safeway totaled $23.52. Finally, a November box of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, salad mix, arugula, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, onions, apples, sage and lavender salt (could not find a comparable item at Safeway and so did not include in the Safeway total) added up to $33.88.

Although this comparison shows in support of organic farm produce in terms of prices, it leaves out a comparison of quality. It is true that I have to overlook lettuce and herbs that have 'holier than thou' leaves and apples that are not blemish free, but the taste is incomparable. The navel oranges were the sweetest, juiciest ones I have ever had. And in summer, the heirloom tomatoes alone were worth the basket price. I also have peace of mind that all produce is certified organic.

The other assumption critics may leap to, is that you never know what will be in your basket week to week. How can you plan your menus? What if you don't like the things you get? It makes picking up my basket all the more interesting. I have tried many new things since I started this service that I would not have tried otherwise. I have steamed turnips, baked persimmons, and made salsa from tomatillos - all by following recipes tucked into the basket each week from the farm staff. Given all the above reasons, I feel vindicated. I am supporting our local farmers and hopefully making a difference in the economy and sustaining our way of life in California. At my next dinner party, I will be ready for the nay-sayers with these convincing justifications.

From Karen Gray, Eatwell Farm Member, Used with permission