Do you find it difficult to know what foods to eat, to find time to get them, or both? Community Supported Agriculture, CSA for short, is a food system that provides easy access to fresh, whole foods. As a bonus, CSAs also have the potential to reinvigorate the environment and local economies.
How a CSA Works
With a CSA you sign up for a membership with a small farm near your community. For the price of your membership, the CSA delivers you food from their harvests. Some deliver direct to your doors, while others bring their produce to a central distribution point that you visit weekly.
CSAs Can Improve Health, The Environment, and Local Economies
Health – Community Supported Agriculture delivers fresh, seasonal produce from the farm. You don’t have to think about what to eat, just eat what comes. You’ll discover new foods as the seasons change while avoiding other, less healthy options you might find in the store.
Environmental Sustainability – Industrial agriculture is a primary contributer to greenhouse gas emissions.1 Community Supported Agriculture shifts the dynamic towards smaller, locally or regionally owned operations that are much less anonymous. You can go and see for yourself if they are following ecological practices and that incentivizes them to actually do so.
Local Economy – CSAs support the local economy in two beautiful ways. One is clear: your money goes into a farm right in your area. Another is that it changes the economic dynamic of agriculture. Instead of a farmer taking a loan to cover the cost of growing a crop, the farmer receives payment for the crop in advance through the membership dues. This takes away the burden of debt and spreads risk over many individuals rather than one family.2In return, the members are investing in their personal health and their environment while connecting with their community.
Get On Board
To see if there is a CSA available in your area, check out the Local Food Directory at the USDA. It’s easy, just enter your zip code!
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