New York Times Takes Note of Community Supported Agriculture
Farms that achieve stability and success through the community supported agriculture (CSA) model were among the inspirations for hivethrive. Joe and I have written about CSA farms a number of times here, so it was with interest that we read a prominent article in today’s New York Times entitled Cutting Out the Middlemen, Shoppers Buy Slices of Farms.
Does this mean that CSA farms have finally hit the big time?
The Times article presents some evidence that CSA farming is beginning to catch on in the U.S. in a significant way. It cites (unnamed) academic experts who found that the number of American farms using the CSA model has grown from fewer than 100 in the early 1990s to nearly 1,500 today.
According to the article, the Internet has been critical to the proliferation and success of the CSA model. Growing interest in local food and community is also a strong component:
“I think people are becoming more local-minded, and this fits right into that,” said Nichole D. Nazelrod, program coordinator at the Fulton Center for Sustainable Living at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., a national clearinghouse for community-supported farms. “People are seeing ways to come together and work together to make this successful.”
In part, the article profiles Erehwon Farm, a four-acre CSA located 35 miles from Chicago. At some CSAs, members do not just pay for shares of the produce; they may also work on the farm as volunteers. Offering the example of a retired computer consultant who recently did some weeding at the farm, the article states that CSA members are now “turning the old notion of sharecropping on its head.”
Not only is the number of CSA farms growing rapidly, but, in many cases, the number of members that particular CSAs serve is also rising quickly. Erehwon began operating as a farm in 2001 and is now up to 150 members. Others have grown even larger, such as The Golden Earthworm Organic Farm on Long Island, which grew from 10 members in 2000 to about 1,300 today.
One interesting development reported in the article is that Heifer Ranch, a model farm and research program operated by Heifer International, is exploring ways to make it easier for farmers around the world to make productive use of the CSA model.
Meanwhile, farmers who have implemented CSAs in the U.S. are finding that consumers are catching on to the idea of local food from a familiar source. Thomas Wrchota, whose Wisconsin ranch offers shares of grass-fed beef and organic produce, explains:
“Up until about five years ago, we had to do a tremendous amount of guerrilla marketing. The consumer who is interested now, they’re doing their homework. They know the health and taste benefits.”
You can see a slideshow of CSAs featured in the New York Times article online.
Evan
