Kol Ami has served for four seasons as a Hazon CSA host site, bringing together the congregational and local community around healthy, locally-grown food. The Kol Ami CSA serves not only members of the congregation but also brings local community members to Kol Ami weekly to pick up fresh produce. The volunteers at Kol Ami donate unclaimed produce to a local Jewish senior center's food pantry each week. As the first Jewish CSA in the Deleware Valley, Kol Ami's program has served as an example to communities throughout the region.
Since launching their CSA, Kol Ami has engaged in a series of educational programs on food issues including a “Meet your Meat” program with Deborah Kimmelman-Block of KOL Foods, lessons on Eco-kashrut with Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center, and sessions on mealtime blessings, the agricultural origins of the Jewish Festivals, and sustainability with Nati Passow of Jewish Farm School. This year, Kol Ami will work with a local nature center to host a Sustainability Film Series, featuring films and discussion sessions led by local experts on fishing, water issues, and farming practices.They also celebrate with challah-baking lessons and Tu B’shevat Seders, enjoying the fruits of their harvest as a thoughtful, intentional community of eaters. For more information, contact Mark Kaplan.
