Community Services Unlimited

«this is the 21^st century and we need to redefine r/​evolution.
this planet needs a people’s r/​evolution. a humanist r/​evolution.
r/​evolution is not about bloodshed or about going to the mountains and fighting.
we will fight if we are forced to but the fundamental goal of r/​evolution must be peace.
we need a r/​evolution of the mind.
we need a r/​evolution of the heart.
we need a r/​evolution of the spirit.
the power of the people is stronger than any weapon. a people’s r/​evolution can’t be stopped. we need to be weapons of mass construction. weapons of mass love. it’s not enough just to change the system. we need to change ourselves. we have got to make this world user friendly. user friendly.
are you ready to sacrifice to end world hunger. to sacrifice to end colonialism. to end neo-​colonialism. to end racism. to end sexism.
r/​evolution means the end of exploitation.
r/​evolution means respecting people from other cultures.
r/​evolution is creative.
r/​evolution means treating your mate as a friend and an equal. r/​evolution is sexy.
r/​evolution means respecting and learning from your children.
r/​evolution is beautiful.
r/​evolution means protecting the people. the plants. the animals. the air. the water. r/​evolution means saving this planet.
r/​evolution is love.»
(Assata Shakur)

I really could not feel more enthusiastic about a market/​restaurant than The Village Marketplace. Not only do they have some of the coolest, absolutely local and organic produce, they also seem to integrate all said produce into their daily special/​plate. It makes me very happy to buy and consume such healthy food that also tastes fantastic.

Great little stand. I found it via Unilocal.Glad I ordered the $ 10 bag… I got a bunch of radishes, parsnips, chamomile, ginger, oranges, a grapefruit, kale, and salad makings this week, for instance. It’s a beautiful assortment, and, what’s even more important, it’s a great service to support. And it’s so easy to get to from USC, a ten-​minute walk from Parkside area. If you order online like I did, you don’t even need to take cash to the site either, which is convenient. There is the possibility of getting it delivered I hear, but why not go get it?

I love getting my produce through CSU, especially since the cost of food has risen and there are growing concerns about the health and safety of the food we eat. My coworker introduced us to this great organization and now there are at least a dozen of us who get produce from CSU.
Every Thursday is like Christmas. I can’t wait to see what I’ve gotten that week. It’s amazing how much you get for $ 10! I usually have to give at least ¼ of it away to not waste it.
The fruits and veggies (you get both and sometimes herbs as well) may not look as pretty as farmers market produce, but it tastes great, I think it costs less and you know it’s organic. Because they are all into sustainable farming, every thing is locally grown so you won’t get strawberries in the dead of winter. You’ll get whatever veggies are in season which can be great because you’re introduced to all these veggies you’ve never heard of before but it also means you get 3 months of summer squash! Sometimes CSU sends a recipe sheet with the bags suggesting ways to cook the veggies.
BTW, when it’s in season the Cara Cara oranges are amazing!!! They are probably the best oranges I have every tasted.
CSU’s is an outgrowth of the Black Panther’s feed South LA project so their core mission grounds them in South LA. The money they raise from this program helps them improve healthy eating options in an area of Los Angeles that suffers from a deficiency of major grocery stores that sell fresh produce and over-​abundance of fast food joints.
BTW, I get my produce delivered so it costs a bit more, but it’s so convenient and they’ll even halt deliveries if you let them know! I’d check with them on the delivery option, however.

Unilocal you never cease to amaze me. I guess you can say that I’ve become a little obsessed with finding things organic. I love Whole Foods but who doesn’t want to save money or help an organization provide affordable organic food to its community?
The first time I drove down to their stand I was a little late. They start selling their fruits and vegetables around 3 p.m. and I got there around 4:30 p.m. Unfortunately I missed out on a lot of great fruits. I bought some lettuce, oranges, asparagus, and carrots, which are all organic. I paid $ 3 for all this. They charge $ 1 per pound for any kind of produce. I also bought one of their fruit cups, which I devoured on my way home. All the fruits were so sweet and delicious. So I decided that I didn’t want to miss out on all the good stuff, so I signed up for their $ 8 a bag program in which I get $ 8 worth of organic produce per week for one month (spending about $ 32 per month on organic produce).
I couldn’t wait for Thursday to come around again to see what kind of fruits or vegetables I would get. Well I was so happy to see what came in my bag: cauliflower, oranges, cucumber, potatoes, beets, fava beans, broccoli, and huge strawberries. Along with the bag I received an email on how to cook the fava beans and how to use it in a simple recipe. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it sounds really good. My favorite, though, were the strawberries: huge, sweet, and delicious. I devoured the whole basket in one setting.
Overall, this is a great cause. If you want to find out more about this organization, check out their website:
. Now I have something else to look forward to on Thursdays besides Grey’s Anatomy and The Office.

i get my ENTIRE week of vegetables for $ 8 from CSU… seriously.
Organic, tasty, local, and CHEAP! I love organic food, but can’t afford go to Whole Foods [or, is it Whole Paycheck?]
For anyone who is interested in delicious food, good produce, money-​saving, and community-​building, you can’t get better than their produce-​bag program. pay in advance for your weekly veggies and you won’t be disappointed…
last week i got broccoli, greens, lettuce, brussels sprouts, apples, oranges, green onions, radishes, potato, and lots of other goodies… and most of the produce is grown in South LA as part of a school-​program, and all the money goes back to teaching kids about nutrition and growing veggies.
i think they also do a vegetable stand [where they also sell smoothies] in front of epic right next to USC on thursdays. check out their website for more info.
i highly recommend.
***NOTE***
…Their Thursday 3−6pm Produce Stand is held in front of the Expo Center/​Epic off of King and Menlo…