Ever wonder why CSA is so important?

Well, I wanted to share a little about why Community Supported Agriculture is so important and valuable. But, how do I convey the value?

I could make a simple list of all of the benefits to you, the CSA member. High quality organically grown produce, good value, eating healthy food, learning how to use new vegetables, or sharing in a bountiful harvest, fresh air walking through the farms fields.

Or I can list the benefits to me, the farmer. Reliable income, reduced risk, the satisfaction of knowing I am growing things with care for people that care.

Or I can list the benefits to the land. Using sustainable growing practices, building organic matter in the soil, growing cover crops, and maintaining open land.

But, the list of these benefits falls short, in my estimation, because it doesn’t paint the proper picture of where CSA fits in the overall food system. CSA makes up less than 1% of farming in our country. It is a radically new concept that pushes against the overwhelming status quo of our world as eaters. The historical and still very much present business model of farming is steeped in debt, government subsidy, and short cuts to help the bottom line.

The traditional farm business attains a loan from a lender (often the USDA) at the beginning of the season. With this loan the farmer buys seeds, equipment, hires staff, and all the materials they need for growing. The farmer then grows their crop (not without risk) and if they get a harvest they sell it and with that money they pay back their loan with hopefully more left over as profit. The pressure of this system forces the farmer to focus intensely on their slim margin and reduce costs as much as they can. This is usually a fine way to run a business but when your ‘factory’ is in fact ‘the earth’ this can lead to terrible environmental impacts, degraded soil, polluted rivers and waterways etc.

So, the conventional method isn’t great for the farmers or the land. What about the people who eat the food. Well, in traditional farming the people who eat the food, as with all elements of being a customer, the people are reduced to being ‘consumers’. You use your buying power to purchase food, weighing your values and budgets against availability and cost. Food grown using the lowest cost methods (pesticides and conventional fertilizer) is usually not the healthiest.

Food that is grown organically and sustainably can be more expensive not because the farmers are making more money but because these methods cost more. Caring for the land costs more. Building the soil costs more.

Why is CSA so valuable? Because it changes the relationship of the eater with the farmer and the land. Rather than being simply a ‘consumer’ you become a collaborator. This farm, even just for one season, becomes YOUR farm. For lack of a better word you become an ‘investor’ in the farm knowing that we will care for the land, use sustainable growing practices, provide good value to you in return for your commitment and collaboration with the farm.

So, in conclusion, now is a great time to sign up to be a collaborator! Being a CSA member has huge benefits to you, the farm, and the land that we care for. I hope you consider joining in this radical endeavor!

 

Sign up here!