Why You Should Join A CSA This Year
A CSA or Community Supported Agriculture is an association of individuals who support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members usually pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, and also sometimes herbs, cut flowers, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat, as well. Some CSAs provide for contributions of labor in lieu of a portion of subscription costs.Benefits of joining a CSA:
- Know where and how your food is grown and handled
- Support your local farmers and community
- Learn to eat with the seasons- there’s growing seasons/times when certain fruits and vegetables are available. Most produce shouldn’t be accessible all year round.
- Connect to the food and the land
- Have access to fresh, local produce-grown with little or no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
- Have access to a variety of produce that you may not find in grocery stores
- Opportunity to try something new and different
- Learn how to eat better and healthier, cut back on your carbon footprint and most times you actually save money by buying locally.
- Help build a community among CSA members, farmers, and the local community.
Related Articles:
- What Is a CSA (http://www.justfood.org/csa
- Community Suppported Agriculture (www.localharvest.org)