Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is exactly what it sounds like: a way to support your local farmers.
How does it work?
You pay a set amount upfront at the beginning of the year or at the start of spring, summer, fall, or winter. This is called buying a “share” of the farm’s products for the year or season. Then you receive a regular package of farm products such as fresh produce, eggs, meat, or flowers. Your share can be picked up directly from the farmer or from a central pick-up location in your neighborhood, or may be delivered to your door. Your shares are distributed at a regular time (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) for a pre-determined period of time.
Some CSA farmers curate what you receive in each share, picking the best of what they have to offer at the moment. Others allow you to choose from a list of available products. Your farmer will often include recipes or other tips for utilizing their products. CSAs can come from one farmer, while others are an aggregation from several farms (like the Local Harvest CSA).
Benefits of joining a CSA:
- Best selection of the freshest products
- Ability to try new things that aren’t available elsewhere
- Cost-saving: by investing upfront with the farmer, you generally pay less than if you purchased the same products throughout the year
- Direct relationship with your farmers
- Ability to influence what a farmer produces
- Knowledge of where your food comes from, how it’s produced, and the people behind the food
- Eating in season
- Reduced decision-fatigue at the grocery store
Farmer benefits:
- Upfront funds to support purchasing supplies (these expenses are highest at the beginning of the year)
- Direct relationship with customers
- Guaranteed sale of farm products (which reduces extra marketing expenses and wasted product throughout the season)
- Ability to experiment with new crops, varieties, or products