On Earth Day it is important to remember that every little thing we do to better the environment through our daily actions makes a huge difference. One of the biggest contributors to environmental degradation and carbon emissions is the food and agriculture industry from the transportation of food to the use of petroleum based pesticides used for growing conventional produce. Eating local and organic not only betters the environment but supports your neighborhood farmers. Procuring Local Food is a series of articles that examine the many ways to purchase local food in your community.
Community Supported Agriculture or CSA was introduced to the United States in 1986. Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and The Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire were the first to develop CSA programs. The idea was inspired by similar efforts on Biodynamic farms in Europe and philosopher Rudolph Steiner’s economic philosophy regarding mutual producer-consumer relationships.
A CSA is a partnership between farmers and consumers. When a farm decides to develop a CSA they sell shares for the season. A share is a weekly harvest of vegetables, but may also include fruits, meat, eggs or dairy products depending on the farm. Shareholders purchase shares for a fixed up-front price at the beginning of the growing season and can usually expect a weekly supply of vegetables during the length of the CSA, usually from late spring through early fall.
CSA programs vary farm to farm with prices and the number of shares a farm sells dependent on their growing capacity. Farms usually offer different sized shares at different price points so that members can choose the amount of produce that works for them. Shares may be delivered to your door or picked up at a set location in your neighborhood. Certain farms encourage a deeper level of engagement with their CSA members through social outings, farm tours and volunteer opportunities. Becoming a member of a CSA is a great way to build a relationship with your farmer and community.
The beauty of CSA is that shareholders can directly support a farm while receiving a variety of fresh, in-season produce throughout the growing season. This system gives farmers a guaranteed income with an influx of cash upfront for the season. As a mutual relationship between farmers and shareholders both parties reap the rewards of good harvests and share the burden of bad. A CSA supports local farmers, keeps money in the community and provides quality, healthy produce to shareholders.
If you are interested in purchasing a CSA share spring is the time to shop around. Get in touch with local farms in your area or use localharvest.org to find CSA farms nearby.
Sources:
https://www.biodynamics.com/content/community-supported-agriculture-introduction-csa
http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/blog/news/history-of-csa-in-america/
https://wuhaus.com/2018/03/15/all-about-community-supported-agriculture-csa/
https://rodaleinstitute.org/the-history-of-community-supported-agriculture-part-i/
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/community-supported-agriculture-zmaz99fmztak
Greens for Greatness 