I’ve been talking to people I know here in the valley and beyond this week about what might be done to connect Borrego Valley residents more closely to where their food comes from, how it is processed and handled, and how Borrego Valley farms might fit into that.
Specifically, I’ve been wondering if a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program might work in Borrego.
I’ve mentioned CSAs in previous columns. A CSA is an organized group of consumers whose members buy their produce and other farm products directly from local farmers. Members pay a pre-agreed subscription amount per growing season and in return receive a weekly harvest of fresh, locally-grown food. Farmers have a local market and a dependable income.
For more information about CSAs, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at: www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml
As a way to get more information about whether a CSA would work in Borrego, let me ask you a few questions. Please take a minute and email me with your answers.
What do you know about where your food comes from, who grows it, and how it gets to you?
Would you buy at least some of your food from local farmers on a regular basis if it were available?
What else would you be willing to do to support the growing of food locally?
Showing posts with label Eating Locally. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eating Locally. Show all posts
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Community Supported Agriculture
“I know of no pursuit in which more real and important service can be rendered to any country,” George Washington wrote in 1789,” than by improving its agriculture.”
While we tend to associate progress with technological advancement and large-scale innovation, one of the most exciting changes on the agricultural scene these days is the growing number of small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. A CSA is an organized group of consumers whose members buy their produce and other farm products directly from local farmers. Members pay a pre-agreed subscription amount per growing season and in return receive a weekly harvest of fresh, locally-grown food.
Typically, a CSA supports several small farms within a close radius of where the food is distributed. In contrast, produce in the grocery store is trucked an average of 1,500 miles from, well…most of us don’t know where. Buying produce directly from farmers, CSA members pay less than retail for the freshest food possible. Many CSAs feature food that is grown organically, without pesticides, and using sustainable farming practices.
It’s the proverbial win-win situation. Communities gain satisfaction from reconnecting to the land and participating in the production of the food they eat. Small farmers receive fair and stable prices and better financial security.
Learn more about community supported agriculture on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at: www.nal.usda.gov.
While we tend to associate progress with technological advancement and large-scale innovation, one of the most exciting changes on the agricultural scene these days is the growing number of small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. A CSA is an organized group of consumers whose members buy their produce and other farm products directly from local farmers. Members pay a pre-agreed subscription amount per growing season and in return receive a weekly harvest of fresh, locally-grown food.
Typically, a CSA supports several small farms within a close radius of where the food is distributed. In contrast, produce in the grocery store is trucked an average of 1,500 miles from, well…most of us don’t know where. Buying produce directly from farmers, CSA members pay less than retail for the freshest food possible. Many CSAs feature food that is grown organically, without pesticides, and using sustainable farming practices.
It’s the proverbial win-win situation. Communities gain satisfaction from reconnecting to the land and participating in the production of the food they eat. Small farmers receive fair and stable prices and better financial security.
Learn more about community supported agriculture on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at: www.nal.usda.gov.
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