NEWCASTLE — The Natural Trading Company wants you to eat your veggies.

They’ll even pick them out and hand them over on a weekly basis.

With its Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, harvest box program, the organic farm located in Newcastle boxes up the freshest produce and hands it over to customers.

Think of it as a locally grown, organic produce subscription. The harvest season goes on for 22 weeks between May and October, and customers pay up front — for example, $462 covers a full season of small harvest boxes and boils down to $21 per week — in exchange for getting a box containing a variety of fresh, seasonal produce each week.

“Some people say it’s like Christmas. You never know what you’re going to get,” said Bryan Kaminsky, Natural Trading Company owner.

Kaminsky has been farming for 15 years, first in Penryn before buying the Natural Trading Company’s current 40 acres in Newcastle in 2007.

Produce growing at the farm includes squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, basil, tomatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce and green beans, which make their way into CSA harvest boxes at one time or another during the harvest season.

“It’s a puzzle every week, putting it together and trying to give people variety,” Kaminsky said. “Every week is something a little different.”

This week’s small harvest box, for example, could contain basil, cucumbers, carrots, squash, potatoes, garlic and tomatoes.

Kaminsky and his crew have planted fruit trees, and are putting locally grown fruit from other farmers into the harvest boxes for the time being.

“We really specialize right now in vegetables,” Kaminsky said.

Customers can customize their harvest-box orders with fruit, salad and tomato shares. Customers can also add wheat grass, sunflower greens or pea shoots, too, which are all grown at The Natural Trading Company.

All customers have to do, other than pay, of course, is come to pick up their boxes each week. The Natural Trading Company sells at six farmers’ markets throughout the week, so that’s one way. There are also regional pick-up spots — South Placer gets boxes Tuesdays, the Tahoe region gets theirs Thursdays and Meadow Vista and Auburn customers pick up on Fridays — or customers can come to the farm for their harvest boxes.

Weekly newsletters, complete with recipes, go out with all the boxes.

“We give people an idea of how to use them,” Kaminsky said of the recipes.

Getting the weekly box of goodies is much more fun than cruising the grocery store’s produce section, said Shaun Clarke, farm manager.

“There’s something about having a fresh-dug potato — people really like that,” he said.

There are many reasons why area residents might consider a CSA like the Natural Trading Company’s harvest boxes.

“I think it opens people up to be willing to try different vegetables and new recipes and the benefit, overall, is better health from eating organic produce,” he said. “And when people come out to the farm to see where the food is growing, it’s something people feel good about. It’s something good, in a positive direction. There’s something good about what we’re doing.”

Tobi Hamilton has been buying Natural Trading Company boxes for three years. She and her husband have two young children, and wanted to make sure they grew up enjoying their fruit and vegetables.

“The food actually tastes better,” Hamilton said. “You can tell it just came out of the ground. It cuts down on our grocery bill and we’re eating healthier food that tastes better. Instead of going to the grocery store and trying to figure what to cook, it’s handed to you. It’s kind of inspiring.”

The Journal’s Loryll Nicolaisen can be reached at lorylln@gold

countrymedia.com, or comment online at Auburnjournal.com.

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Summer Squash Sauté

A recipe from the Natural Trading Company kitchen

3 tablespoons olive oil or butter

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 to 3 tomatoes, diced

Fresh basil, stemmed and chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 to 5 summer squash, sliced

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil or butter.

Add squash, onions and garlic, and sauté until just tender. Remove from heat, add tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss and sprinkle with basil. Serves three to four, as a side.

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Interested? Learn more about The Natural Trading Company’s produce and practices by calling (916) 409-9440 or by visiting naturaltradingco.com.