Want fresh veggies? Check out Viking Supported Agriculture on campus

Western Today staff

October 28, 2011

Fresh, local vegetables are available on campus through the Viking Supported Agriculture program. Those who sign up for the program will receive a receive a box of local, fresh and organic veggies every Thursday or every other Thursday, depending on the package purchased, through Dec. 1.

The VSA program is a project of the Office of Sustainability and is funded by a Whatcom Community Foundation grant to help support sustainable local agriculture by making the nutritious food available to members of the Viking Community. The VSA program supports Growing Washington and Everson's Alm Hill Gardens. Growing Washington partners with more than a dozen small Whatcom County farms. By partaking in the VSA program and receiving fresh veggies, you support local growers by investing all-at-once in these farms!

Here's what you can get:

  • Starving Student Box ($22/week): A box subsidized for students on the go who have limited spending money. The Starving Student Box features 10 to 11 locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs each week. This box offers the same items as the Viking Box but includes a $3/week discount for students.
  • Viking Box ($25/week): The Viking Box is for faculty and staff not eligible for the Starving Student discount. This box features 10 to 11 items of locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs each week.
  • Veggie Bomb! ($30/week): A step up from the Viking and Starving Student boxes, the Veggie Bomb! features 14 to 15 items of locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs each week. If you have multiple mouths to feed, or just love veggies, this box is for you!

Drop-off dates are on Thursdays at Carver Gym between noon and 3 p.m.: Nov. 3, 10 and 17 and Dec. 1. Sign-ups start now and continue through the quarter. Contact Western students Simon Davis-Cohen at (503) 756-7019 or simon@readthedirt.org or Samuel Eisen-Meyers at (503) 415-1642 or SEM5007@hotmail.com.

You will pay when you pick up your box, and organizers would love it if you paid for your entire share up front on the first week you pick up a box. Cash or checks made out to Growing Washington are accepted. Final payments will be due on the second week of pick-ups (Nov. 10) at the latest. Those who sign up after Nov. 10 will owe full payment upon first pickup.

What to expect this fall:

  • Apples (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Arugula (.5-.75 lb)
  • Asian Pears (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Basil (2 oz)
  • Beans, Shelling (1 lb)
  • Beets (Assortment) (.75-1 lb)
  • Bok Choy (.5-.75 lb)
  • Broccoli (.75-1 lb)
  • Brussels Sprouts (1lb)
  • Cabbage (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Carrots (.5-1 lb)
  • Celery (.75-1 lb)
  • Collard Greens (.75-1 lb)
  • Corn (4)
  • Cucumbers, Slicing (2)
  • Cucumbers, Pickling (.75-1 lb)
  • Eggplant (1-1.5 lb)
  • Fennel (1-2 bulbs)
  • Garlic (.5-.75 lb)
  • Kale (.5 lb)
  • Leeks (1 lb)
  • Lettuce, Head (1)
  • Lettuce, Mix (4 oz)
  • Onions (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Peppers (2-3)
  • Plums (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Pluots (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Potatoes (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Pumpkins (2 lbs)
  • Radishes (.5-.75 lb)
  • Rosemary (1 oz)
  • Rutabaga (1.5-2 lbs)
  • Sage (1 oz)
  • Shallots (.75-1 lb)
  • Spinach (4 oz)
  • Swiss Chard (.5 lb)
  • Tomatillos (1-1.5 lbs)
  • Tomatoes (1 lb)
  • Turnips (.5-1 lb)
  • Wheat Berries
  • Winter Squash (2 lbs)