Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relatively new socio-economic model of food production, sales, and distribution with the goal of increasing both the quality of food as well as the health of the land on which the food is grown while simultaneously reducing some of the potential financial risks for farmers.
CSAs consist of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm: growers and eaters providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. The CSA shareholders pay for produce in advance of the growing season, providing the farm with the necessary capital to help cover the anticipated costs of farm operation and the farmer’s salary. In shareholders return, they receive weekly shares in the farm’s bounty – fresh, local, organic produce.

Picking up food

Two important components of CSA programs include providing shareholders with the opportunity to reconnect to the land by participating directly in local food production as well as to understand and share in the inherent risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests.
The concept of Community Supported Agriculture began independently in both Europe and Japan in the 1960s. At a time when Japan was starting to import more foods, lose farmland, and experience urban migration of farmers, a group of Japanese women developed a partnership with local farmers whereby the farmers provided fresh produce to the multiple families who committed to support the farm. This concept was named “teikei,” which translated literally means partnership, but philosophically means “food with the farmer’s face on it.”
The first CSAs appeared in the US in 1985. As of 2005, the USDA reported the existence of 1,144 CSAs in operation in the United States. Each year, the number of CSA farms and participating members increases dramatically. It is also estimated that nearly 270,000 households are served by CSAs during each growing season.

About CSA-Central New York

CSA-CNY, a project of the New Environment Institute, Inc., embodies the New Environment principles of cooperation and shared responsibility by having CSA-CNY shareholders oversee and operate our CSA.  This allows shareholders to have direct input into all aspects of CSA operations. Some meet as the Planning Group to organize the functioning of the CSA and some as pod leaders, coordinating weekly produce deliveries.

Newcomers to the Planning Group and Volunteers are always needed and welcome!

Check out www.csacny.org for more information about meeting times and events.