You can enjoy locally-grown organic produce for $7.50 per person per week, from the Homeless Garden Project / Women's Organic Flower Enterprise.

This article is not so much an advertisement as an exploration of alternatives. For some time, I had been planning to write a story about unaffordable food prices and unhealthy gimmick foods at New Leaf and The Food Bin, the two "progressive" markets in the Downtown Santa Cruz area. Instead, I am going to suggest an alternative: the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program of the Homeless Garden Project / Women's Organic Flower Enterprise.

Basically, you sign-up to receive a portion of the harvest from the Homeless Garden farm. Every Friday afternoon, you pick up your produce at the WOFE store (foot of Washington Street, near the Municipal Wharf; Metro's Route 19 bus, and the free summertime Beach Shuttle, both stop there).

I had wanted to try this for several years, but the pick-up point used to be at Natural Bridges -- not a good location for folks like me, who don't drive. This year, the pick-up point is very convenient!