What is a CSA Farm?

1 MoonShadow Farm (MOSA Certified Organic) in Wausau WI operates a CSA:
         ...Serving the Central Wisconsin region with several pick-up sites
         ...Offering many share types over three seasons
         ...Available now is the 2010 CSA Brochure ( Click here to download)
         ...Or contact Farmer Blaine by Email or Call 715-675-6588.

2 What is a CSA Farm?
        CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture:
       - It's a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm .
       - CSA is a social model the connects you to your food , your land, and those that tend the soil.
       - It's an economic model that allows you to place your food dollar ...
         ... Directly in the hands of a family farm
         ...one that assures they use organic practices .
       - Organic agriculture respects the health and nutritional value of your food...
         ...while being friendly to the environment.
       - The CSA philosophy creates a food system that adopts practices...
         ... that emphasize flavor, nutrition, local economy and respect for the land.
       - There are numerous benefits of a CSA Model:
         ...Provides the non-farmer with an understanding of the challenges and rewards of farming
         ...Members participate in the risks and uncertainties of farming
         ...As well as the rewards of a bountiful harvest .
       - Having a direct contact with the land can be a spiritually and physically rewarding experience.
       - Family farmers can survive because of a guaranteed market :
         ...That includes a dedicated community of loyal customers
         ...A steady income
         ...And freedom to experiment with new varieties and techniques.
         Source: MoonShadow Farm, MOSA Certified Organic, Wausau, WI

3 Building a more local and equitable agricultural system
 Although CSAs take many forms, all have at their center a shared commitment to building a more local and equitable agricultural system, one that allows growers to focus on land stewardship and still maintain productive and profitable small farms. As stated by Robyn Van En [1948-1997], a leading CSA advocate, "...the main goal...of these community supported projects is to develop participating farms to their highest ecologic potential and to develop a network that will encourage and allow other farms to become involved." (Robyn Van En, Basic Formula to Create Community Supported Agriculture. Great Barrington, MA, 1992. Summary [p. 57].) CSA farmers typically use organic or biodynamic farming methods, and strive to provide fresh, high-quality foods. More people participate in the farming operation than on conventional farms, and some projects encourage members to work on the farm in exchange for a portion of the membership costs. Source: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide, by Suzanne DeMuth, September 1993

4 Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a new idea in farming
 Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a new idea in farming, one that has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the United States from Europe in the mid-1980s. The CSA concept originated in the 1960s in Switzerland and Japan, where consumers interested in safe food and farmers seeking stable markets for their crops joined together in economic partnerships. Today, CSA farms in the U.S., known as CSAs, currently number more than 400. Most are located near urban centers in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Great Lakes region, with growing numbers in other areas, including the West Coast. Source: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide

5 CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation
 In basic terms, CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing. Source: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide

6 CSA is sometimes known as "subscription farming,"
 CSA is sometimes known as "subscription farming," and the two terms have been used on occasion to convey the same basic principles. In other cases, however, use of the latter term is intended to convey philosophic and practical differences in a given farm operation. Subscription farming (or marketing) arrangements tend to emphasize the economic benefits, for the farmer as well as consumer, of a guaranteed, direct market for farm products, rather than the concept of community-building that is the basis of a true CSA. Growers typically contract directly with customers, who may be called "members," and who have agreed in advance to buy a minimum amount of produce at a fixed price, but who have little or no investment in the farm itself. An example of one kind of subscription farm, which predates the first CSAs in this country, is the clientele membership club. According to this plan, which was promoted by Booker Whatley in the early 1980's, a grower could maintain small farm profits by selling low cost memberships to customers who then were allowed to harvest crops at below-market prices. Source: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide