CSA
Community Supported Agriculture
Join the movement across America!
CSA refers to a certain network of people who pledge to support one or more local farms, with growers/farmers and consumers and share the risks and benefits of food production.
CSA members/subscribers each pay at the beginning of harvest seasons for a share of the anticipated produce that will be harvested that season. Each week the members receive a a "share" which is a basket of produce. Often people that join CSA like to cook and have time to make homemade meals with the food they receive and let none go to waste even if its slightly damaged or bruised.
More about CSA & types of farming
CSAs main focus is on the production of high quality produce for the local communities consumers. Farms often use organic or biodynamic farming methods, for CSA to work there members/ subscribers need to be willing to fund a whole harvesting season’s budget to get the produce needed/grown properly. The CSA goal and missions is that the more a farm embraces whole-farm system and a whole-budget support, the more it can focus on reducing the risk of food waste. Structure Community supported farms have been around and organized throughout North America since the 1980's. This kind of farming is an alternative, locally based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. The increase in awareness of the environmental movement in the United States has helped CSA grow. There is no official number of how many CSA's there are in the U.S. because the government does not track them but to find one near you, see below!
Tips & things to know!
* In most areas the first crops that are harvested are salad greens, peas, green onions
* Towards the end of the seasons the boxes you get will be heavier because the crops harvested are winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and broccoli.
* Local farms near you should have a list so you can know what produce to expect
* When considering becoming a CSA consumer make sure you know what to do with excess produce, for example think about giving it to a friend or neighbor so you don't feel bad for wasting food which is a main cause why people decide not to try CSA again.
* Some risks to remember are not all crops might be perfect, remember that due to bad weather and/or pest problems some crops may be bruised or damaged.