by Darren Rosenbaum

For an escape, there’s almost nothing more exciting than zip-lining. Today, you can find these high-speed thrillers all over the place. On eco-tours throughout the Americas. At ski resorts in the Rockies and New England. Even at EverBank Stadium during half-time. And while they’re all fun, there’s only one I know of that has you zipping between massive oaks over hundreds of gators and crocs and that’s Crocodile Crossing at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.
  If you haven’t visited the Alligator Farm recently, you might not know of Crocodile Crossing, an attraction added in 2011. As the folks at Alligator Farm tout, Crocodile Crossing is a “one-of-a-kind experience, (where) participants zip over the entire park, literally seeing live crocodilians, lemurs and tropical birds from a new perspective.” There are two courses; The Sepik Course which takes about 45 minutes to complete and has 3 zip-lines and the Nile Course which takes about 90 minutes start to finish, reaches heights of 60 feet and boasts 9 zip-lines! Topping it off are the dozen or so moving aerial obstacles that connect the zip-line platforms.
  Recently, my son Josh and I took the challenge. After signing in, everyone sits for a mandatory 15 minute lesson given by one of the park safety operators on the features of your waist harness, safety lines and trac-pulley. Ours was skillfully taught by Assistant Manager Bobby Delong, who eased the concern of many by assuring us that the Petzl gear strapped to our waist could hold the weight of a small car.
  As soon as we were done learning the basics, we thanked Bobby and were off! Josh headed out first and scrambled over the aerial obstacles to the first platform with the self-confidence of someone who’d done this since birth. At the first zip-line he secured his trac-pulley and safety lines, jumped up to release his weight to the harness, and ‘flew’ like a pro, zipping through the air at high speed. Kids! Then it was my turn. Not one to be outdone by their teen, I double checked my safety lines, swallowed hard and… Woo hoo! What a thrill! And, unlike 45 seconds of fun once an hour at a theme park in central Florida, I still had 8 more chances to fly over gators and crocs on the Nile Course!
  Part of the enjoyment of any outdoor adventure comes from meeting people along the way. I was lucky to meet Alyssa and Charlie Woodbury, a local couple who thought ‘outside-the-box’ and celebrated their 6th anniversary with an afternoon of zip-lining! While Charlie said he’d mountain climbed and rappelled and wasn’t nervous, Alyssa was ‘nervous going into it’, but said Bobby’s pre-course training helped her ‘feel at ease with the process’. After completing the course, both said they would recommend Crocodile Crossing as an exciting activity for friends and family.
As many of you know, a day spent at the Alligator Farm makes for a great time. Maybe it’s watching Maximo the 15 foot croc feed, visiting the fossil exhibit or walking through the bird rookery that brings you back time and again. Now, with the addition of Crocodile Crossing, it’s game, set, match for the Alligator Farm. As for me, I can’t say enough about the thrill of zip-lining at Crocodile Crossing. Except for… Woo hoo!

There are so many interesting things happening in the food revolution and many of them are right here in St. Johns Florida.  Learn about CSA’s, local farms and providers in our community.CSA Community Supported Agriculture
Thinking about signing up for a CSA but want to learn more about the idea before you commit? 
Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.
Local Fare Farm Bag  
www.localfarefarmbag.com
Owners of Local Fare Farm Bag, Cora & Chris Curry are passionate about food.  Chris was an Executive Chef in Savannah, Georgia and his restaurant had its own organic garden so when he moved here he was disappointed at the lack of whole foods available and wanted to do something about it.  They landed on the idea of delivering bags of local produce, meats, eggs, breads and honey to homes.  It is similar to a CSA but the Curry’s do no not own a farm. They simply gather the food for the bags  and then deliver it to your doorstep.  It is an excellent way for families to get local food without the time-consuming aspect of going to the farm to pick up your share.   
They are particular about which farms  and other providers, using only the best available.  For instance, they invited me to tag along for a visit to St. Johns Family Farm where they get fresh eggs (see pictures of the farm on this page).  They recently introduced meat to the Farm Bag as well.  Chris and Cora dream of one day opening a grocery that provides only local foods. 

The Curry’s describe thier business:  Seasonal, locally sourced produce delivered straight to your home or office weekly. Includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and a hand crafted loaf of bread. We also send a weekly newsletter with your subscription that tells you what is going on in the world of agriculture and gives you recipes using the ingredients that are included in your delivery. Our delivery areas include Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, Middleburg, Fleming Island, St Johns, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Oakleaf & more!

A Family Tries a CSA 
Community Supported Agriculture
The presence of chemicals and preservatives in our processed foods has caused many people, especially families with young children, to look for organic alternatives.  It also forces people to be more responsible about food on every level and be part of the larger green revolution that will benefit future generations of Americans.
Most people involved with CSA’s say their shares are amazing, carrying them through a natural growing season (2 in Florida) with items both familiar and new.  Butter lettuce that melts in your mouth, crispy cucumbers, juicy heirloom tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet corn, eggplant, Swiss chard, arugula, and a variety of squash.  You may also be introduced to more exotic vegetables like Bok Choi. 
In some cases you can pick up your share directly at the farm.  Going to the farm is the perfect opportunity for children to ask questions and learn about the growing process.  They should understand that the food they eat does not magically appear at the grocery store, packaged and ready for consumption.  Our family learned that green beans come from a plant with curly vines and the best tasting carrots and tomatoes sometimes look ugly and mis-shapen. Eating local also means the people who planted the seeds and nurtured them into the plants we picked were our neighbors.  Most CSA’s offer a few recipes and describe the week’s harvest so you can make the best of your share.
If you would like to find a CSA in your area, Local Harvest, an organization based in Santa Cruz, California, provides a search engine of CSA’s nationwide by city or zip code.  Go to localharvest.org/csa for more information.

local
Nearby Farms & Providers
KYV Farm 
Old school farming is making a comeback here in North East St Johns County.  Just ask Dawn Hutchins a local food blogger with Florida Coast cooking.  “As a food blogger in the local area I have had the pleasure of working with Vivian and Francisco the owners of KYV Farm. They grow everything from broccoli and potatoes to arugula and rutabaga - good ole turnip. They don’t use chemical pesticides or fertilizers, using crop rotation, companion cropping, green manure which uses the uprooted dying plants in soil to increase nutrient levels.  KYV farms also manages the Berry stack Hydroponic u-pick Farm seen from I-95. Vistors can pick berries and access the whole farm.  KYV is a community supported Farm. 

Saint Johns Family Farm  (Across from Cunningham Creek Elementary) www.saintjohnsfamilyfarm.com
One rainy day I visited this live working farm where chickens, goats and ducks live in a clean, comfortable environment.  The farm, which sits way back in the wild area just off Roberts Road, is owned by Manny and Yvonne Granados whose approach is to use humane,  traditional and sustainable methods. The chickens here have freedom to roam around the aviary and chemicals are not used to clean the outer layer off the eggs, so the nutrition remains high.  Lucky for residents of northern St. Johns the farm has a roadside stand we can visit in the afternoon.  If you do not have time to visit you can get these fresh eggs in your local Fare Farm Bag!!

Manny & Yvonne’s philosophy:  Utilizing only humane and sustainable methods.  We don’t think that bigger and standardized is better.  Small, local food production with complete transparency for the customer is the solution to questions of food safety and environmental protection.
Black Hog Farm in Palatka. 
www.blackhogfarm.com/home.php
Black Hog Farm owner Sharon Watkins [email protected] is a new kid on the block. They are growing in popularity as they do doorstep delivery. Black Hog provides fresh meat products delicious and no nonsense ingredients. The Fresh Farm movement is making headway as more locally grwon food is transcending to consumers making its way to your kitchen table and local restaurants.

Down to Earth Farm in Jacksonville 
www.downtoearthjax.com/

Twinn Bridges Farm (Beaches Farmers Market) 
www.twinnbridges.com/

Other Area Organizations 
Girls Gone Green www.thegirlsgonegreen.com
Slow Foods www.slowfoodfirstcoast.org
www.organicadventurer.com
Beaches Local Food Network www.beacheslocalfoodnetwork.org