Make the Connection to Community Supported Agriculture
- Category: Local
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, directly connects consumers and producers. Farmers offer CSA shares, sometimes called memberships which is essentially a subscription of farm fresh food that is either picked up or delivered on a regular basis.
Consumers often purchase CSA shares at the beginning of the season allowing farmers to use this money to cover the cost of seeds, tools, and other inputs at the start of the season.
Consumers receive regular distributions of vegetables, fruit, meat, or other farm products throughout the growing season.
Benefits to purchasing a CSA share include:
- CSA produce is often harvested within days or hours of delivery.
- Consumers can directly ask producers about their growing practices.
- CSAs offer what is plentiful and in season, which is a great way to get introduced to new crops.
- Becoming a part of a CSA connects you to likeminded consumers and allows you to participate in a more localized food system.