Malka Mordujobich used to buy her produce from a local supermarket, but starting this week, she'll begin to pick up her carrots, onions, strawberries and other fresh produce at her Miami Beach temple.

``Who can I give this check to right now?'' asked Mordujobich, who last month learned about Temple Beth Sholom's effort to start an organic buying club.

``We should all be mindful about what we are putting in our bodies,'' Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz said at the Oct. 5 informational meeting at the temple, 4144 Chase Ave., Miami Beach.

Mordujobich joined about 40 others in establishing the temple's Community Supported Agriculture initiative, part of a national project that encourages community groups to purchase seasonal produce from local, organic family farms. As the first Jewish CSA in South Florida, the temple is combing its 1,100-person membership and joining up with other community groups to promote the buying club.

Their efforts, added Pomerantz, coincided with the October holiday of Sukkot, the Jewish holiday that marks the beginning of harvesting season.

The meeting attracted about 50 people, including temple members and representatives of groups that plan to collaborate in the project.

The temple's organic buying club aims to promote eating organic food produced during South Florida's growing season. The club will get its produce from Farm Fresh Miami, which was created by a local-foods advocate to help people take advantage of the fresh fruits, vegetables and other organic foods produced by nearby farms.

Eating foods grown closer to home is more environmentally friendly, said Ginny Simon, a temple member who chairs Mindful Organics, a Miami Beach organization that promotes the benefits of healthy living and eating.

``It takes about 1,500 miles from farm to fork,'' she told the audience.

Buying local organic produce helps to shorten that distance, which means a healthier diet, said Erika Rullman, 30, founder of Farm Fresh Miami, a neighborhood produce delivery service that has partnered with the temple.

``Supermarkets gather fruit when they are already a few days old,'' she said. ''They use pesticides and hormones in their fruit, which isn't good for intake.''

The goal is to bring organic, safe, pesticide-free foods into the community while supporting local farms, she said.

Muriel Olivares, who works for Bee Heaven in Redland, said produce is at its freshest from October to April, which is when the produce will be delivered to the temple.

Bee Heaven is one of several growers that supplies Rullman with fruits and vegetables.

The first deliveries are scheduled to arrive at the temple Thursday.

``Buying from small farms supports a dying industry,'' Olivares said. ``It has the capabilities of being a moneymaker.''

The majority of the food that organic club members receive will come from Olivares and other organic growers, mostly from Homestead, Redland and the Tampa area, said Rullman, who formed Farm Fresh Miami earlier this year in her community of Belle Meade.

She then branched out to private families throughout the county.

Temple Beth Sholom, the first public institution to open its doors to the service, prefers to purchase during Florida's harvest season, but some of Rullman's clients participate year-round, she said.

``Erika tries to procure the best produce,'' said Jackie Bohmer, who hosts a buying club through Rullman for about 15 members in Coral Gables.

``A few weeks ago, we got in sweet corn. My kids loved it.''

While the majority of produce is locally grown, Rullman sometimes has to rely on growers elsewhere to find organic produce such as organic peaches sourced from a Georgia grower.

Club members pay $50 every two weeks for the products, Rullman said.

The amount covers one share -- about 25 to 30 pounds of ripe produce.

Items vary by season -- with everything from asparagus, carrots, celery, green leaf lettuce to spinach, zucchini, avocados and carambola arriving throughout the year.

Eggs, honey and homemade bread are also included in the shares.

The package also contains recipes and directions on how to take care of the produce.

``Some of the crops are very interesting,'' Bohmer said.

``It forces you to try new things.''

A full share serves a family of four, Rullman said.

Half shares -- about 15 pounds -- also are available for a $30 biweekly fee.

More than a hundred e-mails have poured into the temple since the first meeting, said Tamara Kaz, the temple's program director. Pomerantz emphasized that the club is open to the public, not just to temple members.

``We're just launching this and seeing how it's going to go along,'' Pomerantz said.

``Hopefully, this will promote learning opportunities about the environment.''

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