It’s pick-up day at Moutoux Orchard and it looks nothing like the scene at your nearest grocery store. It is mid-March when I went to visit, there is snow on the ground and members of the Moutoux year round whole-diet CSA are picking up their fresh veggies, milk, eggs, meat and fresh flour for this week’s meals. A buzz of activity — as adults pick out their food and the kids weave in and out of the barn playing.

The CSA, run by Rob Moutoux and Maureen Moodie (who everyone calls Mo), is in its fourth season and provides a full diet of meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables, fruit and whole grain flour for 75 families year round.

“Our goal is to provide an important service to the our community- healthy food year-round, sharing with each other the bounty and the occasional leaner times,” Rob says somewhat apologetically as he glances at the teaming table of food. A table that contains cabbage, potatoes, radishes, napini, cilantro, lettuce mix, eggs, milk, nuts, fresh flour and grains, not to mention an assortment of meats that would make a butcher blush. And these are the lean times I think.

Suddenly a member chimes in, “I am still working on the bounty from this summer, I am still eating off of tons of tomatoes and other produce that I canned.”

Mo explains, “During the summer we produce lots of extra veggies that are available for canning. Members share recipes. Some have even set up a yahoo group so they can keep in touch between pick-ups, and get their kids together for play-dates.”

Suddenly a voice from about knee level finally finds her chance, “Farmer Mo, can we go see the baby goats?”.

Everyone, young and old seizes on the idea, the opportunity to visit Maddie, the day old Jersey calf and the two baby goats that are keeping her company. With everyone ogling over the new editions to the fold, I have a chance to do the math.

What do you get when you add together a beautiful farm, two friendly hard-working farmers, 75 CSA members, and a year round full diet of healthy whole foods and fresh air? A healthy yearround community

More information about the farm can be found at buylocalvirginia.org >>