May 7, 2007
Community Supported Agriculture
Offers Hope To Florida’s Small Family Farms
Small family farms face enormous challenges, but a growing number are achieving economic viability through an unconventional farming concept: Community Supported Agriculture. In a nutshell, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and consumers. In conventional agriculture, the farmer bears all the risk of production, but CSA allows farmers to share farming’s risks—and its rewards—with consumers.
CSA revolves around a community of consumers who pledge their financial support to a farm. At the beginning of the growing season, members pay a fee to cover the cost of the farm’s operations and the farmer’s salary. In return, each member receives a weekly share of the farm’s bounty—typically a box of fresh vegetables and herbs, though the box might also include fruit, honey, eggs, and even meat. Shares are picked up at the farm or at a central distribution point—maybe a local church or farmers’ market, or a member’s shady porch.
Membership fees vary, but usually run between $300 and $500 per season. Members must be prepared to deal with potential crop damage by weather and pests: They aren’t paying for a particular amount of produce, but for whatever the harvest may bring. Of course, the farmer must do all he or she can to prevent crop loss, covering tender plants before a cold front, for example, and carefully monitoring for insect pests.
“CSA reduces the financial risk for the farmer because you have a set group of consumers who commit to buy a season’s worth of produce,” said Rose Koenig, who farms for over 90 families through Plowshares CSA in Gainesville. “Another benefit for the farmer is volunteer labor. Volunteers can help with everything from paperwork to distribution of the weekly produce shares.”
CSA members are encouraged to become personally involved in the farm they are supporting. To build community, many farmers host picnics and educational workshops at the farm, or open the farm for tours and workdays. Hands-on involvement is satisfying to members, who are often looking to reconnect with nature and their agricultural heritage. Helping members get to know the farm is good for the grower, too, because members who feel that sense of personal connection are much more likely to volunteer their time and skills.
“I rely on a core group of committed volunteers,” Koenig said. “They do things like manage the treasury and help out with the newsletter and web site. That way, my primary job is farming.”
Farmers quickly learn to value their volunteers, and many become lasting friends.
“For farmers who like social interaction, CSA is great,” Koenig said. “It’s a really good opportunity to get to know the people who eat your food.”
“We have a diverse group of people working together, making friends,” said Roberto Saenz, the farm manager at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, a 150-member CSA near Tampa. “It’s very interesting. We’re trying to create community. We’re creating a family here.”
Many farmers are attracted to CSA not just as a way to make a living, but as a lifestyle choice. They believe in organic farming, small farms, and working to restore community food systems. They believe in nurturing the soil and teaching people to eat locally and with the seasons. A CSA farm becomes a reflection of their values.
“The most rewarding thing to me about CSA is showing city kids where food comes from, letting them get their hands dirty,” Saenz said. “It’s great to see kids pulling food out of the ground, establishing that connection to the land.”
CSA farming can be more interesting than conventional farming. Farmers plant a wide array of crops to keep customers interested and excited about their weekly boxes. Since shipping their products isn’t an issue, CSA farmers have a lot of freedom to experiment with the varieties they plant. Flavor is the paramount concern, rather than durability. So farmers can plant what tastes best, including rare and heirloom varieties—delicate, delicious, and seldom seen in grocery stores.
CSA has many rewards, but it’s not for every farmer. In order to succeed with CSA, your farming skills need to be highly developed. Plantings must be carefully timed so the produce boxes can be filled with a satisfying assortment of vegetables every week. Careful planning is essential to prevent gaps in produce availability.
“You need to offer a wide variety of produce to your customers,” Koenig said. “So you need to be able to cultivate a diversity of crops and get the timing down so you’re harvesting the right crops every week.”
A CSA farmer needs good organizational skills and good people skills: “If you don’t like people, you shouldn’t do CSA,” Koenig said.
A CSA arrangement is a little less flexible than other types of farming. Promises have been made to customers; they’ve paid in advance and are counting on their vegetables.
The obligations are hard and fast.
“You’ve made a commitment to your members, so you can’t miss those weekly pickup dates,” Koenig said. “Dependability is most important as far as work ethic goes. If you disappoint your members, they won’t sign up again.”
For more information about Community Supported Agriculture and a list of CSA farms in Florida, visit
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/consumers/community_supported_agriculture.htm
For more information:
Carl Penn
(850) 921-1993
pennc@doacs.state.fl.us
