It’s CSA Week! What better time to talk about how you can support local farms and the local food community. CSA is an abbreviation for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA works by having members pay a membership fee in the beginning of the year/season with the promise of weekly pick ups of farm fresh produce. It is a partnership that helps both the member by giving them fresh produce each week and giving the farm an injection of money for things like seeds, equipment, labor, etc. Most farms offer a few options for their CSA memberships. Most offer different share sizes, like small, medium and large. (Usually for 1-2 people, a family of four or even 4-5 people.) These will generally include enough produce for the week for whichever sized share you pick. If you are a couple, but are either vegan or vegetarian, I would suggest considering the larger share options. Some farms will offer internships or work/volunteer options to reduce the price of a full CSA membership. This can be a great option if you really want to be a part of a CSA but the cost is above your budget. It usually means that for a reduced CSA membership fee you work at the farm a certain amount of hours or days through the growing seasons. Another option some farms might offer are CSA cards, where you prepay a certain amount and can use that amount towards anything the farm sells during their operating season. Most also offer add ons or upgrades for things like farm fresh eggs, meat, dairy, flowers, etc. Generally a CSA operating season is 20 weeks, sometimes longer depending on the climate and seasonal temperatures of the area. Additional memberships shares of things like flowers or fruit can be offered for less weeks, also dependent on location and temperatures.

Interested in becoming a member of your local farms CSA? These links can help you find a CSA in your area. (You can also do a web search.)

• CSA Innovation Network: https://www.csainnovationnetwork.org/csa-week
• Farm Shares.Info: https://farmshares.info/index.html
• Local Harvest: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/
• USDA Directory: https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/csas

CSA membership is a fantastic way to support your local farmer(s). You will find that when you pickup your CSA box that you will start to meet other local people who also value quality, locally grown food. (It is a great way to build community.) You can also develop a relationship with the farmers growing your food, this invaluable! It is also a great way to learn what eating seasonally is like in your area. Plus a lot of farms also have other seasonal activities for you family to experience. (Think berry picking or flower picking or harvest festivals, farm dinners, etc.) I highly suggest joining a CSA if you have a small garden and know you don’t have the space or time to grow more produce than you need. It is a great way to supplement what you already grow. If you love your local CSA, let me know in the comments.