LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – At the height of local produce availability in Lake County, Lake Co-op sourced its CSA boxes from all local farms this past week while adding a new farm’s products to their individual offerings.

The boxes were filled with Bjinje potatoes and eggplants from Bio Farm in Kelseyville; Heirloom cucumbers, tomatoes and basil from Leonardis Organics in Lakeport; and Gala apples from Soda Bay Ranch in Kelseyville.
 
In the same week, Green Horse Wheatgrass Farm in Kelseyville, one of the largest wheatgrass farms in Northern California, added their products to the Co-op’s online ordering catalog.
 
Owner Michael Blum gave co-op customers free samples of their pea green sprouts.

One member used the sprouts instead of lettuce for a salad with lemon cucumbers and tomatoes from her CSA box. She added toasted sunflower seeds with a light vinaigrette. “They are so fresh and tasty! They really livened up the salad and felt so nourishing!”

The Blums will be offering the pea green sprouts and flats of wheatgrass to Co-op customers.
 
Wheatgrass is considered a high energy food and mostly juiced. It can be added to other juices or drank on its own.

According to the Hippocrates Institute, wheatgrass juice “increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.”

Situated in the Red Hills area of Lake County, Green Horse is a family-owned-and-operated certified organic farm.

Michael and Bess Blum live on the farm and do all of the work from planting and harvesting to distributing.

“We’re so fortunate to have such health conscious farmers in Lake County,” said Co-op Chair Janine Smith-Citron, “We hope all of Lake County can enjoy the flavor and health benefits of their products.”

Lake Co-op now has six convenient locations surrounding the lakeside communities – Clearlake, Riviera, Lakeport, Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks – as well as two in Lower Lake, one in Hidden Valley, one in Middletown and one in the community of Cobb.

Details on all the Co-op’s drop points can be found at www.lake.coop .
 
Other recent efforts by the Co-op to increase local consumption of locally produced organic food through their online ordering and distribution system include wholesale sales, sales to the public, weekly subscriptions to favorite products, home/office delivery for $5 (most addresses) and telephone ordering.
 
Customers of the co-op can place orders from Sunday, 12:01 a.m. to Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., either through a convenient online shopping Web site or by calling 707-993-4270.

Customers can choose from their CSA box (a mix of fruit and vegetables), individual fresh and processed foods, such as oils, breads, cakes, and sea vegetables. Customers pick up their orders at the drop points throughout Lake County on Thursdays.
 
For a list of all producers, products and drop points, and more information on ordering, visit the co-op’s Web site at www.lakeco-op.org or call 707-993-4270.