Cash and Carroty

Umbra on joining a CSA 5

Umbra,

I have heard mention of community-supported agriculture programs but don't really know what they are. The name sounds very cool, but can you let me in on the specifics?

Bryties
Redding, Calif.

Dearest Bryties,

The springtime alarm is sounding, and your question is perfectly timed. Some of you might be experiencing hints of spring right now, some not (like me! I'm in a secret location where the all-time snowfall record is under threat) -- but regardless, it's the time of year for all of us to look into community-supported agriculture possibilities for the growing season.

Join a CSA and your kids could be this cute.

Photo: iStockphoto

Last August, we went over a few of the details of community-supported agriculture. The timing was off. Let's do a brief review -- I'll switch it up for those who do click back -- and then wade into serious proselytizing.

It costs money to run a farm. Farmers need cash to buy seeds, babies, fertilizer, compost; fix equipment, pay employees, pay the mortgage, etc., long before they will sell a single lettuce leaf or lamb. These investments are risky, in a way, because if there is a crop failure, the farmer can't recoup through sales, and risks going into debt or going broke. Community-supported agriculture is one solution to this inherent problem. In a CSA, consumers provide farmers with operating capital, in essence buying their food ahead of time and taking the risk of crop failure along with the grower.

How might this work in your actual life? This month, you would look around at your local food co-op, or online, and discover a few CSA farms in your area. Get their publicity materials, which could be a website or a small flyer. The materials will give a cost, an amount of food, and a description of the system by which you will get the food. For example, for $450 you might get a "full share" at a vegetable farm, enough veggies to feed a family of four on a regular basis. For a little less money, some farms will let you buy a half share, which is handy if you're a single person or smaller household. You would pay that money now -- this is the farmer's operating capital, up front. On a regular schedule -- say, every Wednesday from May to October -- the farm will harvest a box full of various veggies for every member, including you, and leave it at a drop site, which might be a house in your neighborhood, or a local store, or a farmers' market.

After paying money in March, the only thing you would need to do is pick up your veggies every week and eat them. Usually, though, you can participate much more if you like by working on the farm or going to parties and other farm-related events. The model I describe is just the basic one; there are many variants, and CSA is not only for vegetables.

Did I mention that CSA is a model used by fairly small farms? Often people just getting going on their veggie farm, who want to feel connected to their consumers and have a role to play in their communities, use CSA. I do know farms on the larger end of small that still use CSA as a steady income to help stabilize operations and have good community relations.

I've left no room for proselytizing. Well, CSA is GREAT. It's a real gift to a farmer to place faith in them, to give them cash to get the work done, and to participate with them in the joy of food. You get a special box full of amazingly yummy vegetables (or whatever they grow) every week, which forces you to eat creatively and healthily. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

OK, you're ready to go, right? Is everyone reminded about CSA sufficiently? Go read my other articles. The end of the first one gives directions for finding CSA on the web if your local natural foods store can't help, or if you don't have a natural foods store. The second talks about how to deal with unfamiliar foods, and I'll give the secret here: butter.

Broccoli rabely,
Umbra

 

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

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  1. enso Posted 6:31 am
    10 Mar 2008

    Tried it; wasn't for usWe didn't mind taking a chance on the productivity of a local farm. We were a little unhappy to receive foods we didn't care for and the waste that entailed (even if it was composted). Even more difficult to adjust to was not knowing what we were getting until it showed up.
    We much prefer shopping local at our farmer's market, buying foods we will eat, and being able to plan meals ahead of time.

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  2. greenparent Posted 8:30 am
    10 Mar 2008

    Research beforehand saves disappointment laterA CSA can be a positive experience if you ask some questions first before joining. If you're not sure you want to commit to buying vegetables for an entire season, for example, ask whether you can pay week by week. The CSA I was in last year had a pay-as-you-go plan, which was wonderful because even though I signed up for the half-share plan, I still received quite a bit of food and often didn't need to buy food every week as I had plenty from the previous week. Also, ask whether you are allowed to trade food that you know you won't eat for food that you like. My local CSA had a "trade table" on which you could exchange a vegetable you didn't want for one that you did. The organizer of that same CSA also sent a weekly e-mail several days before pick-up letting members know the types of foods that would be offered that week. Then, on the night of pick-up, recipes were available for several of the foods included in that week's share. I know that I wouldn't have known what to do with kale had I not picked up a recipe for it. Any other concerns you might have about a CSA should be addressed before you make a commitment for the season. You still might encounter problems or concerns even after you join, but at least you should have a fairly good idea of what you're getting into.

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  3. usandthem Posted 1:41 pm
    10 Mar 2008

    Take a chanceWe need to learn that we can't have what we want when we want it.It is called growing up.We need to learn to eat locally,because the day is coming when that is all that is going to be available,due to the cost of oil,transportation cost,global warming,pollution,lack of water,and unsafe foods from other countries that don't have the same food safety laws as we do.

     Get involved now or wait until it is too late and you and your family are in trouble.Learn to garden on your own land or if in the city there are community gardens.Learn and fight against genetically engineered food,and irradiated foods.Learn to take care of yourselves.Think,Plan,and Execute!

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  4. bpcaul Posted 11:44 pm
    10 Mar 2008

    CSAsThis will be my fifth year, I think, of belonging to our local CSA; I was lucky enough to get in on their first year and have loved it ever since. For someone to hates to shop--even at our food co-op and farmers market (well, I don't hate them entirely)--this is perfect for me. I don't have to decide which foods to buy or what dishes to make. I just take what is offered and go from there. I love the wide selection of vegetables they grow, the more unusual and exotic, the better. The tastes are fresh and wonderful, allowing me to introduce new produce to my grandchildren. I've gotten to know the farm families who grow our food, and it especially warms my heart to know I'm helping young, enthusiastic local farmers make a living. Did I mention organic, or did you, Umbra? This is another good part--no pesticides ruining our environment and health. What's not to love about CSAs, with "community" being the best part.

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  5. Farmergiles33 Posted 6:23 am
    13 Mar 2008

    Short VideoIf you want to learn more about CSA's you can watch this short doc about one of the largest CSA's in the nation.  Full Circle Farm right outside of Seattle, WA.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djmaUCCKwjk

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