What is Community Supported Agriculture?

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​       The term "community-supported agriculture," since shortened to CSA, was coined in the northeastern United States in the 1980s by two European farmers, Jan Vander Tuin from Switzerland and Trauger Groh from Germany. They established separate CSAs in 1986: Tuin’s CSA Garden at Great Barrington, Massachusetts and Groh’s Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire. Both enterprises are still in operation today.

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       Generally, the CSA model is one of shared risks between farmers and consumers. CSA members pay the farmer up front for a “share” and in exchange, receive a weekly or bi-weekly distribution of the farmer’s harvest. Some CSAs offer identical boxes of produce, while others offer shareholders more choice. Some offer fruit, milk, meat, egg, herb, and flower shares in addition to their vegetable shares, and some operate farms stands simultaneously.

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       When compared with other direct-to-consumers models, such as selling at farm stands and farmers’ markets, the CSA model has several advantages. Getting paid for shares up front increases the farmers’ cash flow early in the growing year when their expenses are highest. Such costs might include seed, fertilizer, potting soil, greenhouse heat, etc. Planning crops is also easier, because farmers know in advance exactly how many customers they need to supply.

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       Benefits for consumers include receiving a wide variety of ultra-fresh food (frequently organic) grown by people they know on farms they can visit. Together, these farmers and consumers often form tight-knit communities that foster agricultural learning and a deep regard for the land.

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       For an example of how a CSA works, check out the highly successful one operating on our farm at www.benediktdairy.com.

You won’t be disappointed!