While learning more about urban farming in the San Francisco Bay Area, I kept reading about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and CSA plans. That made me curious to know more.
CSAs provide a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food from a farmer. Typically a farmer works out a plan with stakeholders describing what the farmer plans to grow. The farmer offers “shares” of produce to the “shareholders.” A share may be a box of fruits and vegetables once a week. Shareholders subscribe in advance and receive their share. Farmers are paid in advance based on the subscriptions. Shareholders share in the benefits of fresh produce, as well as the risks associated with farming.
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| Photo by Madame Furie under Creative Commons non-commercial licnese (http://www.flickr.com/photos/madame_furie/3649737943/). |
There are variations on this model. Shareholders may be able to modify the contents of the box, to work out alternate schedules. Multiple farmers and food producers (bakers, meat, honey, and so forth) may form an informal cooperative, offering additional choices to the subscriber. The plan is submitted for inclusion in the CSA database. To find a CSA close to you, search the database: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.
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