Buying meat, eggs with a tie to the farmer

Interested in finding a source for locally grown meat and eggs? Today the Union of Concerned Scientists posted a new feature on its website to help. It discusses a recent twist in community supported agriculture programs -- ones that focus solely on providing meat and dairy products.

That's the second stage in CSAs, which provide produce to thousands of groups of people around the country. In a CSA, members pay a fee toward a farmer's operating costs and in turn receive a share of the harvest.

The website profiles successful programs in Ohio, New York and California, including the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club.

-- Mary MacVean

Photo: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times