Community Supported Agriculture
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, where farmer's offer shares of their farm and yield to the public. Often, these shares are called subscriptions or memberships. Typically, after a consumer has invested in a share of the farm for a given time, the consumer can stop by the farm on a designated day and pick up a certain amount of produce for that week. Of course, sometimes there is more and sometimes there is less. There is a shared risk by both the farmer and the consumer, however there are advantages for both sides as well.
Advantages for farmers include getting to know their local consumers, as well as network and recruit potential volunteers. In addition, the influx of capital in the early season helps with the costs of running a farm, as well as cover any unforeseen events with upfront capital.
Advantages for consumers include getting to know the people that grow their food as well as potentially becoming involved with the farming process of their own food. Besides this is the obvious factor of the benefits of organically grown, healthy food that is not lacking in vitamins and nutrients. At the end of the day, the consumer and farmer both feel better knowing that their actions are benefitting the health and sustainability of our environment and earth.
To learn about my local CSA, click here. To find your own CSA, click here.
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