CSA Info

I've been asked often lately, "What is a CSA?" CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" (some sources say "community sustained..."). A consumer buys a share of the farm in the Spring for a set price (usually $500-$700) and receives produce during the growing season, typically 16-20 weeks. Some CSAs require work, some have working on the farm as an option for a reduced rate, some do not. Some CSAs deliver food to drop-off points, some require pick-up at the farm. Most CSAs are organically grown, some certified organic.

It's a beautiful model in many ways--you know your farmer, you know how the food is grown, you learn about eating seasonally, your inspired to "put up" food for the winter for those crops which grow abundantly for the season's unique weather. There's some risk that gets transferred from the farm's shoulder's to the consumers--if it's a tough season, the yield may not meet your expectations, but having a community carry some of that burden is much better than our current food model, which makes life so difficult for the growers that the profession is less appealing or not financially sustainable!

An article appeared in The Times Herald yesterday (a St. Clair County, MI paper) about Maple Creek CSA, the largest CSA in MI that I'm aware of. Click here to read it. You can find CSAs near you at localharvest.org. Les Roggenbuck of East River Organic, where we get our eggs and some beef, has a CSA--look for Maggie's post here on the blog!