CSA is a model of agriculture that addresses the problems inherent in our modern industrialized food system by fostering a direct relationship between the farmer and the community. Members of the community purchase a ‘share’ of the farm’s annual harvest in advance of the growing season. Shareholders then visit the farm weekly from June until the end of October to pick up their share of the farm’s weekly harvest of the freshest, highest quality produce. This unique arrangement provides the farmer with the financial stability necessary to operate in a sustainable way while offering farm shareholders the opportunity to see firsthand where the food they eat comes from as well as to get to know the folks who grow it.
CSA is about building community and engaging citizens in taking responsibility for the land on which their food is grown. The farmer and the farm member share equally in the rewards and risks inherent in agriculture. Community Supported Agriculture brings together a farm and a community in a mutually supportive manner for the purpose of providing the freshest, most nutritious food from a viable local farm.
The environmental and social repercussions of our food choices are crucial to consider in a society where most food travels thousands of miles before it reaches our tables. Joining a CSA provides members of the community with a new voice in how their food is grown and how their food dollars are spent. As a CSA member you will be actively preserving local farmland as well as enjoying the freshest, most affordable produce that is harvested for you daily by your farmer.
