There’s nothing more basic that the food we put into our bodies. It’s personal and you do it every day. If working toward sustainability is a personal goal of yours, that might extend into the food you eat. By joining a Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) program in your area, not only are you supporting a farm or farms in your area, but you’re also helping to reduce food waste, fuel and energy consumption, and pollution.
CSA’s are a great way for people to support their local farmers. Members of a CSA buy shares that entitle them to products from the farm in the coming season. This financing model was set up originally to support growers in the spring, when costs associated with growing season are high, but income is limited. In return, members receive fresh farm products all season long, often at a drastically reduced price. By selling to the local community, farmers use less fuel and energy to transport their products, and those savings can be reinvested in the farm. Less time on a truck is better for the consumer, the product, and the environment.
From summer until early fall, CSA members will receive a box, crate, or cooler with the farm’s offerings that week. Most shares include an array of fresh local fruits and vegetables, others include add-on products like meat, dairy, herbs, and flowers. Some CSAs offer home delivery, and others distribute from a designated spot (such as a community garden or farmer’s market), where members can pick up their farm-fresh items. Some even allow you to select your own items from that week’s offerings, which is a plus for persnickety snackers.
Purchasing a share in a CSA is a seasonal commitment and does require a bit of faith. You may find produce in your weekly crate that you’ve never seen or cooked with before. That’s why many CSAs provide information in their newsletters about unfamiliar ingredients, as well as recipes and fun facts. By joining a CSA, you commit to standing by your local farm and farmers for the whole season, and that means that local weather can sometimes be a factor. Too much or too little rain may occasionally limit available varieties, but the opposite is also true! A stretch of ideal weather sometimes results in bumper crop yields. The beginning of the season usually offers lots of leafy greens and quick-growing root crops like turnips, kohlrabi, and radishes. As summer rolls in, the shares begin to fill with familiar favorites like corn, tomatoes, and broccoli. Some farms even extend their CSA shares into the autumn months, featuring late-season produce like apples, squash, pears, potatoes, and pumpkins. Taking part in a CSA requires some flexibility and willingness to take things as they come, knowing that it’s all in support of your local farm.
The rewards of taking part in a CSA are multifold. Not only is the food fresh, local, and delicious, it doesn't have to travel very far to get into customers’ hands. This reduces fuel usage and pollution, as well as the excess use of energy needed for refrigerated transport. A CSA membership is a great way to connect to your local food system and an excellent step toward your personal sustainability goals. Check out to www.localharvest.com to find a CSA near you!