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CSA: Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct relationship with a farmer. The community supports the farm by purchasing a subscription to food over the growing season and paying upfront. CSA is a mutual relationship because the farmer is then able to support the community by growing quality diverse food which promotes the health of both the people and the environment, also the small family farm is preserved, retaining the knowledge and values so central to American life and culture. Since every farm is different, every CSA share is unique. Typically a share is purchased before the season begins and the farmer provides a "care package" of fresh seasonal produce every week. The share is picked-up at the farm, market, or a centralized location, usually not home delivery. Produce available through a CSA membership with an individual farm may be vegetables exclusively, or it may include fruits, herbs, flowers, jams, honey and honey-bee products. Some CSA farms even offer wool, tinctures, lotions and soaps, farm crafts, nuts and seeds, Christmas wreaths, chocolate, coffees, and teas. The contents of the share reflect the region, the season, and the variable nature of farming. As the growing season progresses, different crops will be harvested for the CSA shares. One of the joys of being a CSA member is creatively planning meals around the current produce offering. As a CSA member, you may receive vegetable varieties that you've never seen or heard of before! CSA farms often offer a newsletter with recipes and other interesting current farm information. A CSA farmer grows food for their CSA family instead of the commodity market. This means a variety of crops can be grown instead of a single crop (often called monoculture). Diversity helps the environment the crops are grown in and the crops themselves; with diversity there is security in the case of a single crop failure, a better home for the natural wildlife, protection from soil loss or degradation, and the variety in produce makes for tasty meals and good health. CSA is cost-effective. This direct relationship with the farmer provides the best possible value-the cost for just-picked and ripened produce (CSA produce is often picked the same day it is scheduled to be picked-up by CSA members or the day before, preserving nutrients and flavor). As for cost, because CSA is a direct relationship with the farmer with no middlemen to pay and no packaging and everything is purchased up front in bulk, there is no cheaper way to get such high quality produce for such a low-cost (not to mention the environmental benefits of cutting out these steps of transportation and packaging). People who become CSA members are frequently amazed at the abundance and quality of food in their CSA share. CSA helps the farmer. Receiving payment upfront allows the farmer to avoid taking loans to cover spring time operating costs before food is ready for market. The diversity of crops planted that provides that "spice to life" also adds security to the farm, letting a bumper crop compensate for those that don't. CSA members often become "part of the family" returning year after year to purchase their share and to provide social support as friends. CSA is good for the environment and community. CSA farms provide a diverse environment that is good for local wildlife, reducing monoculture, and resting the soil by planting a variety of crops and rotating them. As for supporting the community, members' payments help support the local agricultural community because as small businesses, local farms are able to stay in operation. In this way, CSA money stays in the community, and keeps the local economy alive. CSA farms often support and encourage volunteering. A work/share may be offered at some farms, which allows those who volunteer to work at the farm for a certain amount of time, to exchange that volunteer time for a reduced share price as a CSA member who receives the weekly offering of produce. CSA members who volunteer on a farm get a welcome break from the 9-5 world, a chance to meet great people, and to learn about and observe their food source through the season as they help plant, grow and harvest that food. Many of us have a feeling that something is missing in our lives, you may find that a connection to agriculture is that something. Meet your farmer, shake his hand, volunteer, dig in the soil, observe the simple beauty of a farm, and smile and remember the art that is the common bond between all humans.
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