What's the deal with CSAs?
In an age when we can buy whatever we want at the click of the mouse, or in a single trip to one big box store, why is there any interest in the CSA model at all? As growers we have a unique perspective and one thing is certain, interest is growing.
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a subscription type model where customers prepay for a share of the harvest for a set period of time. Because our season here is so long we do three month CSA seasons and skip summer all together. In most CSA models (although they vary quite a bit) members travel to a set location on a set day of the week to pick up their bag of vegetables, which most of the time they did not choose and may not even know what they're getting! This is a crazy thing, right? Wrong! It's a whole lot of fun!
We think people want to join a CSA for several important reasons, and it all stems from increased knowledge of the food system and wanting to take a different path. Here's why we think people join:
Connecting to their food's source (know your farmer)
Community
Quality (nothing beats truly farm fresh produce)
Interesting varieties (guaranteed you'll get stuff you can't find at the grocery store)
The fun challenge of being a flexible cook! It's like Iron Chef!
Investing in small farms
CSAs are great for farms. They receive payments for upcoming CSA seasons, often at the slowest times of the year. This cash flow helps farms get through those "lean" times and continue operating. It is stability in an otherwise unpredictable climate and market. CSAs also challenge growers to continue trying new things for their loyal CSA customers. Every season we try new crops. Some fail, but some don't! It is always exciting to add new items to the line up.
We think everyone should try a CSA at least once to see what its all about! With us its only a 3 month commitment! Learn more about our CSA program Here.
