Search This Blog

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

CSA explained

OK, I keep talking about CSA and veggies and most of you have no idea what I'm talking about.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA farms are kind of like coops. A farmer sells "futures" on his crops to members of the community who share in the success (or failure) of the season. We pay a flat rate twice a year (summer and winter seasons). A season is 25 weeks. Members are also obliged to work on the farm 12 hours per season -- we're working this coming Saturday. All members get a weekly "share" of whatever the farm has produced. The produce is all grown organically with a keen eye to sustainability, recycling, and low environmental impact in all arenas. I got interested in it through reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal. Vegetable, Miracle. I like the idea of organics -- pesticide and growth hormone free food. It is also important to me that I use as many local products as possible so that the price of what I purchase rewards the grower or producer of the product instead of several layers of middle men and the transportation industry. I like the idea of getting the cost of fuel out of the equation. So, I think it's a good thing because it is politcally correct, at least according to my politics, it's healthy organic food, and it's fun!

Our CSA is Millsap Farm located just north of Springfield. In addition to the veggies we get weekly, they also sell beef, pork, poultry, eggs, cheese and bread. All of which are organically and locally produced.Here are Curtis Millsap and Ben at the farm last fall. Both Ben and the turnips have grown considerably since then. The Millsaps also have a blog for CSA members. It might help you understand a bit more of what they are all about.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for explaining! That looks like a lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for the information! It sounds like a wonderful program.

    ReplyDelete