CLEARLAKE – The Lake County Community Co-op's efforts to expand drop points in the county where members can pick up weekly boxes of fresh produce has resulted in a strong response and two new sites.

Just one week after launching sites in Cobb, Middletown and Lucerne, Lake Family Resource Center in Kelseyville and Olivia's Organics in Upper Lake will bring the countywide drop point total for the co-op to seven.

Residents may now pick up weekly boxes in Clearlake, Lucerne, Upper Lake, Lakeport, Kelseyville, Cobb and Middletown.

The co-op reported that response has been overwhelmingly positive as CSA signups increased by almost 40 percent in the first week.

Board member and Treasurer Hileri Shand was excited at the positive and quick response.

“We knew that there were a lot of co-op members and members of the public wanting to receive our CSA boxes who found making the trip to Clearlake each week challenging and not environmentally responsible,” Shand said.

The new drop points, open between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursdays, began March 4.

For more information on how to order from the co-op, or become a drop point, go to www.lakeco-op.org or call Hileri Shand at 707-995-9054.

Annual membership in the Co-op is $24 and the CSA boxes are $15 each, paid on a monthly basis. The co-op sources the all-organic CSA boxes first from local farmers, then regionally and beyond from farmers and distributors. In addition, members can purchase locally baked organic breads from Main Street Bakery in Kelseyville.

The co-op's intention is to help support a more sustainable food system through local and organic food sourcing. The co-op is celebrating over two years in existence and envisions cultivating an evolving community by nurturing values of social, economic and environmental responsibility.

For more information go to www.lakeco-op.org or call 707-993-4270.