What is a CSA?

I'm sure if you travel down Route 24, read the newspaper or watch TV you've at least seen something about a CSA recently. Most people have heard of a CSA but are unsure what it really is. Let me give you some basic info.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

The textbook definition: A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs consist of a system of weekly pick-up of vegetables and fruit.

The basic idea is that a customer purchases shares of a farmers produce, and in return they recieve a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the harvest season. It's an annual committment between the consumer and farmer to one another.

CSAs are beneficial for each party involved. We call it a win-win. Here's why:

Advantages for farmers:

• CSA efforts take place in the early months, before farmers are working long hours in the field.
• Provides working capital
• Opportunity to educate consumers and connect with local markets
• Provides a secure market

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Discover new vegetables and new ways to cook
• Connect with farmer developing a relationship
• Allow children to visit farm weekly and understand where food comes from
• Less food miles

There are several CSA's in our area so there are several options. Here is a run down of how most CSA's work.

1. Customers pay up-front in early Spring
2. When harvest time comes, customers will receive their shares weekly (through pick-up or delivery).
3. Enjoy your produce!

Most CSA's run during the summer months and the timing ranges by farm. Some are shorter programs lasting less than 12 weeks and some are up to 30 weeks long.

Each CSA also offers a different variety of produce depending on the farmer's production variety. There are different benefits from different CSA's. 

This article in the Daily Record provides a snapshot of several different CSA's in our area.

This year is our first year at Ort Farms doing a CSA program. I am so excited about this new venture.

Our purpose for starting a CSA is to connect consumers to their food and the farmer who grows it. We want our customers to have fresh, local produce and experience the health benefits that come along with it. 

When designing our CSA I focused on allowing flexibility in the program, which is why we allow substitutes of produce.

I also focused on the educational aspect. Our goal is for our CSA to be a partnership which allows us to connect with our consumers and educate them. In addition to the weekly produce, we are offering a farm tour and a farm-to-table dinner exclusively for CSA members. We also have a weekly newsletter that will include nutritional information and recipies. 

Click here to learn more about our CSA.

I encourage everyone to think about what options are important to them in their CSA (i.e, educational aspect, delivery options, cost, season length, variety, ect.) and shop around. Local Harvest is an awesome website that will allow you to compare different programs and identify which is best for you.