Go to any popular grocery store and somewhere down the aisles of brightly colored packaging you will find the organic section, where everything’s grown without the more caustic chemicals and pesticides permissible under U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. In this section everything’s a little pricier, perhaps because it costs a farmer more to grow organic items; perhaps because the food has to be shipped in from elsewhere. After all, the average food item from a grocery store travels over 1500 miles before it finds its way into your kitchen.

But to go organic, it’s no longer necessary to have food shipped in from thousands of miles away. Going organic is as simple as driving on U.S. Highway 264 just outside Washington and turning into the driveway of Leggett Farms.

Leggett Farms Organic will be bringing the homegrown and fresh items to members of its CSA (community supported agriculture) season, in which a certain price will get you heaps of in-season items: spring will feature greens, carrots, green onions, herbs; early summer offers zucchini, squash, onions, cucumbers, beans and potatoes. Full summer offerings include heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, sweet corn and okra; later summer offers melons and cantaloupes, butternut and delicate squash.

Crops will, of course, depend on the weather.

With many of us too busy to tend our own gardens, the option to go organic and homegrown is still there. It’s a great way to eat, a great way to support your agriculture in the community and a great way to support your local farmers.

For more information, visit www.leggettfarmorganics.com.