Save the Bay, Eat Locally Grown!
A joint project of CLF and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Spurred in part by a 2005 CBF report entitled Vital Signs:Assessing the State of Chesapeake Agriculture that concluded that traditional agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay watershed was losing ground to sprawling development pressure and that certain farming practices were contributing to soil erosion and Bay pollution, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation staff decided to make the connection between food choices and the health of the Bay in their own backyard. In June 2006 they launched, in concert with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, the “Save the Bay, Eat Locally Grown” campaign at CBF’s Philip Merrill Headquarters in Annapolis. This weekly lunch program for staff comes with more than good, healthy food. It also brings with it messages about the need to support regional and local agriculture, especially operations that use sustainable farming practices.

Each filling and nutritious meal is meatless (inspired by the Meatless Monday project at CLF) but contains a complete protein and features at least three locally- grown, inseason ingredients (at least three).

Here are some helpful links if you want more information:
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Maryland Growing Season Poster

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture is a way for consumers to buy produce directly from farmers. Payment is made up front which helps cover production costs of the farm and guarantees a degree of financial support  that can help enable small farms to remain in business. The CSA movement originated in Japan in the 1960’s to address concerns about the environmental impact and the quality of the food produced by industrial agriculture. The name for this movement, Teikei (“cooperation” in Japanese), is philosophically translated to “food with the farmer’s face on it”. CSAs provide the opportunity for consumers to have a relationship with farmers, know where their food is grown and gain direct knowledge about the farming practices. By buying food locally and directly consumers support a family, their farm and the community. Food produced locally is also fresher and tastier than produce grown using industrial methods which often pick produce weeks before peak ripeness and rely on varieties selected for hardiness not flavor. Check out CSA at JHSPH