What Is a CSA?
 Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way for the public to buy locally grown food,
create a relationship with a farm, and help to keep small farms in their
community. Members make a financial commitment to the farm by buying
shares, which provide the farm with the funds needed to grow and harvest the
crops. The shareholders share the bounty with the farmer-when the harvest is
plentiful the shares are large. However, just as when you buy stock in any
company, CSA shareholders also take risks. If a natural disaster (such as hurricane
or other weather-related condition or a major pest problem) destroys a crop, the
shareholders bear the burden along with the farmer.
Most
CSA farms require seasonal prepayment to buy a share, but we provide two
options. If you do choose to pay at the beginning of the season, you will
receive a free box. However, we consider our members to be
"subscribers", because we also allow you the option of
paying for your box at the beginning of each month. If you choose that option,
your payment is due by the time you get your first box each month.
The
vegetables you receive from our farm will vary in
size and appearance during the season,
looking and tasting similar to those you would grow in your own home garden. The vegetables in
the grocery store tend to be more uniform and perfect, because those varieties
were chosen mainly to keep their appearance through shipping and storage, and
then graded to remove those that were misshapen or had blemishes. The
varieties we grow were chosen for their flavor and their ability to produce
well in our climate, and are not expected to look perfect. (You might
receive a double squash or pepper, an eggplant with a "nose",
or an ear of corn with baby ears attached-these are all vegetables
that would have been thrown away in a normal commercial grading operation!)
 Keeping
farms in a community can be a positive for the community, but why would your
family want to join a CSA? Mainly for the freshest vegetables you can buy. Most
of them are harvested within 24 hours of the time you receive them. That means
they have less time to lose their flavor and nutritional value, and they last
longer once you get them. You’ll also have a chance to cook with vegetables
and herbs that are difficult to buy in other stores-maybe your family will even
be willing try some they may not have tried before. You’ll even get to attend
our annual Subscriber Open House and see how your vegetables are grown.
Finally,
in these days of impersonal multinational corporations, our farm is still a
small business. That means that when you have a special request or a question,
you’ll deal with people who actually know what is going on and can help you.
We hope to meet you soon. For more
information about how our program works click
here.
Farming Systems Research, Inc.
PO Box 741112
Boynton Beach, Florida 33474 |
Phone: 561-638-2755
Fax: 561-638-2755
Email: kes@bellsouth.net |
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