What is a CSA and is it right for you?

You hear it all of the time, "know your food, know your farmer", but now more than ever we have to take these words more seriously. A CSA is the perfect way to make those words a reality!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way to bring together the consumer, farmers, farmland and the food they grow into a mutually beneficial relationship that sustains local agriculture, ensures greater food security, and strengthens the local community and economy.

In this blog we will explain to you what a CSA actually is, how it works and how it may benefit you!

HOW DOES A CSA WORK?
A CSA is a model where you purchase a seasonal farm share up front at the start of the season from a local farm. This means you are "investing" in the farm for that season and in return you are taking the reward and risk of the bounty the growing season offers. For example, if a crop is doing very well you will get your appropriate share and maybe more. On the other hand if crops are doing poor due to weather, or other natural issues you may take a risk in not receiving much during a particular week.

To give you an idea of how a CSA share may run here is an example how a few farms in the area structure theirs.

1. You purchase a farm share from a farm at the start of the season. Payment is typically made before the CSA share starts.
2. You choose your farm share size that fits your family and menu needs. For example, if you purchase a 2-4 person share at $500, and the share runs for 20 weeks, you will be paying a total of $25 for each week the farm share runs. That's roughly $3.50 a day to have fresh locally grown vegetables in your pantry. So many benefits when you break it all down!
3. Once you've gone through the agreement form and payment process the fun begins early summer!
4. CSA share members would typically pick-up their share at the day and time of the week they have chosen depending on the days offered by the farm.
5. Farms display their shares in a few different ways, a choice share, box share, and in some cases a honor system share.
6. On occasion farms will offer additional products for sale at the time of pick-up, such as different variety of vegetable or fruit, eggs, cheese, and maple syrup for example.

This season Bardwell Farm will offer a "choice share" to CSA members. Members will pick up their share by choosing from a variety of products available and quantities designated by our farm through the season.

Keep reading to see how a CSA benefits you and your local farm!

6 CSA BENEFITS FOR YOU & THE FARMER

1. builds a strong relationship with you and the people who grow your food
2. locally grown food shared with the community and neighboring communities harvested fresh every week 
3. cuts out the middle man, there are 4 steps from a supermarket, a farmer's market has 2, but a CSA has only 1 to get food from a farm to your plate
4. food education, how your food is grown, where it comes from and how it's prepared
5. adventure, the experience of trying something new, maybe in the form of a new vegetable or a new variety of one you've tried before  
6. early season farm income to help with costs at the start of the growing season

WHY IS CSA SO IMPORTANT?
Community Supported Agriculture is the stepping stone to sustainability. It helps you, your local farm, the people who grow your food, the local community, our environment and the Earth.

Please join us in our new adventure! We look forward to building new relationships and strengthening old ones.

​Are you excited about joining our CSA? Click here for more information and see our brand new signup page!