Produce Variety Assurance (PVA)

Does your family have produce variety assurance (PVA)? Don’t worry. It’s a new term that I just randomly coined, but involves an important consideration. We often talk about the importance of produce and even variety within that produce, but are we really living this out in our daily lives? I recently had to ask myself that very question for my own family. Do we regularly consume fruits and vegetables? I am happy to report -yes! Do we alternate the varieties of differing kinds of produce? Hmm. Not always. We adore fresh produce and eat them regularly, but we’re like most people. We are creatures of habit! We still have that tendency to flock to our family favorites. I like to pick up some different stuff here and there, but then I slowly start going back to my habitual varieties. That’s when one of my patient’s mothers told me about a thriving local produce co-op here in the area. I immediately joined because I knew this was our family’s answer to PVA.


I just love the concept of produce-co-ops and community supported agriculture (CSA) groups for so many reasons. They bring local families together in mutual admiration for fresh foods and they promote grassroot efforts to support farmers and agriculture. Today I get to pick up my “share” of produce – whatever that may be- which will dictate our family’s menu over the next 2 weeks. What a great way to keep our experiences with food new, interesting and rich in all kinds of colorful varieties.

Our 1/2 share of  of produce via Your Health Source  food co-op.
This delivery, we opted for a full share of produce, which will be
double content.  We look forward to what we'll get this time!

Your Health Source is a family-run food co-op that coordinates the delivery of USDA certified and if possible, local produce for a variety of areas in Texas, into Oklahoma and Colorado. You can also order fresh grains, meats and other foods - and have access to health communities and recipes through e-mail distribution. I recently caught up with Monica Brown to find more information about Your Health Source. They started the co-op 9 years ago when she moved away from what she calls the “standard American diet”. The increase of fruits and vegetables in her family yielded life-changing health benefits for each family member, including helping one of her son’s behavioral problems and solving her own digestion issues. Aside from the nutritional benefits, Monica admits that one of the best benefits to her family has been the new friendships they have formed. “I know people today that I would have never known if it weren’t for the co-op. I rarely make a friend at the grocery store – but at co-op, I have friends for a lifetime now.” Monica is also appreciative that her children have had the benefit of witnessing so many families striving to make healthy choices. Her and her husband see their co-op as a way to serve families everywhere that yield the highest of health benefits. It is families like the Brown’s that inspire us all to make health investments in our local communities. After all, it is one of the many things First Lady Michelle Obama encourages in the Let’s Move initiative to fight childhood obesity.

If you want to promote PVA in your family, consider joining a produce co-op, community supported agriculture (CSA) group, schedule regular visits at your local farmer’s market or just reach out to a local farmer. What a great way to expose your children and family to the colors of the produce rainbow! If you have anything to share on the subject, I would love to hear from you.

For more information on The Brown Family’s co-op, go to their website below. A special thanks to my friend and dietitian colleague, Robin Plotkin, for giving me the Edible Communities websites below. What a wonderful resource for us all.

Online Resources for Produce Co-ops, CSAs, Organic and Local Foods

Your Health Source Co-Op: http://www.yourhealthsource.org/
Local Harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/
USDA's Farmer's Market search: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/
Pick Texas: http://www.picktexas.com/
Edible DFW (for the Dallas/Fort Worth area): http://www.ediblecommunities.com/dallasfortworth/
Edible Communities (for all areas throughout the U.S.): http://www.editblecommunities.com/
USDA’s Fruits & Veggies More Matters (includes recipes by produce type): http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/