Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture

Early in the year (January – March) is a good time to sign up for a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. CSA stands for community supported agriculture, where individuals pledge support to a farm in return for high quality food and farm products.  Members, also called shareholders, collectively invest in a local farm by funding the whole season’s budget in advance.  In return they receive a proportion of the harvest throughout the growing season, as well as the satisfaction from participating directly in the production of their food. There are variations to this type of farming, but most CSA farmers have members pay for the whole season in advance and the members receive a weekly basket of produce during the growing season, usually June - October.  Other CSA farms allow weekly or monthly payments and others require members to work a small amount of hours on the farm during the growing season.  CSA farming creates a very strong relationship between the consumer and producer, which benefits all that are involved. By investing in a CSA share, you, the shareholder, assume with the farmer both the risks and rewards of growing the food you eat. If it’s a good year, you get more local food. If it’s a down year, you receive less in your basket each week.

Not only is this a great way to get to know a local farmer, and support their continuing economic viability, but you become intimately attuned to what is in season. Each week at a predetermined pick-up spot, generally from about June to October, you receive a box of produce (and sometimes eggs, meat, and flowers) that were just harvested. For some, this is an adventure in eating.  What’s this crazy looking vegetable called a cardoon, and how the heck do I cook it? For some, the pressure to eat everything in your box can be a bit overwhelming. In that case, sharing with friends, or buying a ½ or ¾ share is a good route.

Why buy a CSA share?  It’s a good value. You get to eat the freshest possible, delicious fruits and vegetables each week, grown nearby. You can’t get food this fresh in the store.  You know who grew your food, and how they grew it. And, the price of a CSA share is often less than comparable vegetables would be at the grocery store. But yours are fresher!

CSA is also good for local farmers.  CSA farmers keep 100 percent of every consumer food dollar, while on average conventional farmers receive only $0.21 of every consumer food dollar. If you want to support local, sustainable agriculture and the protection of farmland, this is a great way to do it. And, how many people can say they have a local farmer?