WHAT
IS COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE
AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Food
is a basic human need. Yet for most of us in the U.S., it is merely
an inexpensive commodity that we take for granted. Issues surrounding
how, where, or by whom it is grown are not generally the topic of conversation
around the dinner table. Considering the current situation in agriculture,
perhaps they should be. Food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,300
miles from the farm to the market shelf. Almost every state in the
U.S. buys 85-90% of its food from somewhere else. In Massachusetts,
for example, this food import imbalance translates to a $4 billion
leak in the state economy on an annual basis. University of Massachusetts
studies have determined that Massachusetts could produce closer to
35% of its food supply.
Increased
local food production would add considerable food dollars to the
economy of many other states. Meanwhile, the nation's best farmland
is being lost to commercial and residential development at an accelerating
rate. At the same time, the retirement of older farmers, increasing
land and production costs, low food prices, competing land uses,
the lack of incentive for young people to enter farming, and the
fundamental restructuring of the national and global economy all
combine to make farming and local food production in the U.S. an
increasingly difficult task. Community Supported Agriculture represents
a viable alternative to the prevailing situation and the long-distance
relationship most of us have with the food we eat.
What
Is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?
CSA
reflects an innovative and
resourceful strategy to connect local
farmers with local consumers; develop a regional food supply and strong
local economy; maintain a sense of community; encourage land stewardship;
and honor the knowledge and experience of growers and producers working
with small to medium farms. CSA is a unique model of local agriculture
whose roots reach back 30 years to Japan where a group of women concerned
about the increase in food imports and the corresponding decrease in
the farming population initiated a direct growing and purchasing relationship
between their group and local farms. This arrangement, called "teikei"
in Japanese, translates to "putting the farmers' face on food."
This concept traveled to Europe and was adapted to the U.S.
and given the name "Community Supported Agriculture" at Indian
Line Farm, Massachusetts, in 1985. As of January 1999, there
are over 1000 CSA farms across the US and Canada.
CSA is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters, which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Supporters cover a farm's yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the harvest at the beginning of the season. CSA members make a commitment to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Members help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, and labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season. Becoming a member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown, and those who grow it.
This
mutually supportive relationship between local farmers, growers and
community members helps create an economically stable farm operation
in which members are assured the highest quality produce, often at
below retail prices. In return, farmers and growers are guaranteed
a reliable market for a diverse selection of crops.
How
Does CSA Work?
It
works through Money, Members and Management
A
farmer or grower, often with the assistance of a core group, draws
up a budget reflecting the production costs for the year. This includes
all salaries, distribution costs, investments for seeds and tools,
land payments, machinery maintenance, etc. The budget is then divided
by the number of people for whom the farm will provide produce, and
this determines the cost of each share of the harvest. One share
is usually designed to provide the weekly vegetable needs for a family
of four. Flowers, fruit, meat, honey, eggs and dairy products are
also available through some CSA farms.
Community members sign up and purchase their
shares, either in one lump sum before the seeds are sown in early spring,
or in several installments throughout the growing season. Production
expenses are thereby guaranteed and the farmer or grower starts receiving
income as soon as work begins.
In
return for their investment, CSA members receive a bag of fresh,
locally-grown, typically organic produce once a week from late spring
through early fall, and occasionally throughout the winter in northern
climates and year-round in milder zones. Members prefer a wide variety
of vegetables and herbs, which encourages integrated cropping and
companion planting. These practices help reduce risk factors and
give multiple benefits to the soil. Crops are planted in succession
in order to provide a continuous weekly supply of mixed vegetables.
As crops rotate throughout the season, weekly shares vary by size
and types of produce, reflecting local growing seasons and conditions.
Some Characteristics of CSA Farms
· CSA farms vary considerably as they are based
on farm or garden location, agricultural practices, and specific
farm and community goals and needs. Memberships are known to include
a variety of community members including low-income families, homeless
people, senior citizens, and differently-abled individuals. If provided,
an extra fee typically is charged for home delivery. Most CSA farms
invite members to visit the farm and welcome volunteer assistance.
Working shares are an option in some cases, whereby a member commits
to three or four hours a week to help the farm in exchange for a
discount on membership cost.
· Apprenticeships are growing in popularity on many CSA farms. For some farms they are an integral component of a successful operation. This system offers valuable hands-on education to the apprentices.
· Property arrangements tend to be quite flexible.
Beyond private ownership, there is leasing of land with lease fees
factored in as a regular budget item. CSA is also an excellent opportunity
for holding land in some form of trust arrangement.
· Every CSA farm strives over time for a truly
sustainable operation, both economically and environmentally. Many
try to develop to their highest potential by expanding to provide additional
food items such as honey, fruit, meats, eggs, etc. Networks of CSA
farms have been forming to develop associative economies by growing
and providing a greater range of products in a cooperative fashion.
· Some CSA farms provide produce for local
restaurants, roadside stands or farmers' markets while building farm
membership, or in many cases, in addition to it.
Distribution
and Decision-Making
Distribution styles also vary. Once the day's
produce is harvested, the entire amount is weighed and the number of
pounds or items (e.g. heads of lettuce, ears of corn) to be received
by each share is determined. Some CSA have members come to the farm
and weigh out their own share, leave members behind any items they
don't want at a surplus table and possibly find something there they
could use. Other farms have a distribution crew to weigh items and
pack shares to be picked up by members at the farm or at distribution
points.
Several advantages to the direct marketing
approach of CSA, in addition to shared risk and pre-payment of farm
costs, are the minimal loss and waste of harvested farm produce, little
or reduced need for long-term storage, and a willingness by members
to accept produce with natural cosmetic imperfections.
A core group made up of the farmers or growers,
distributors and other key administrators, and several CSA members
are often the decision-making body for CSA that determines short and
long-range goals, prepares the budget, conducts publicity and outreach,
organizes events, etc. Annual meetings, a member newsletter, and occasional
surveys are some basic means of communication between the farm and
its members.
Why
Is Community Supported Agriculture Important?
· CSA's direct marketing gives farmers and
growers the fairest return on their products.
· CSA keeps food dollars in the local community
and contributes to the maintenance and establishment of regional food
production.
· CSA encourages communication and cooperation
among farmers.
· CSA
provides farmers a "guaranteed market"
for their produce, so they can invest their time in doing
the best job they can rather
than looking for buyers.
· CSA supports the biodiversity of a given
area and the diversity of agriculture through the preservation of small
farms producing a wide variety of crops.
· CSA creates opportunity for dialogue between
farmers and consumers.
· CSA creates a sense of social responsibility
and stewardship of local land.
· CSA
puts "the farmers face on food"
and increases understanding of how, where, and by whom our
food is grown.
Credits
Robyn Van En, CSA of North America (CSANA);
Liz Manes, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension; and Cathy
Roth, UMass Extension Agroecology Program provided this description
of CSA.
Compiled by Don Dysart. For more information,
contact WSU Extension,
(509)477-2048.
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