"The CSA approach is possibly the ultimate in achieving a self-sustaining localised food and farming system. CSA offers an innovative business approach where a food or farm enterprise has members who own 'shares' in the harvest and therefore also share in the risk."
Joy Carey, Head of Local Food and Market Development, Soil Association
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship of mutual support between a farmer and those who eat the food they produce. It is a partnership between farmers and consumers where the responsibilities and rewards of farming are shared.
As well as reconnecting people with the land and their food, it can give farmers and growers a secure income and also helps to create a sense of community. CSA allows communities to participate in the development of new local food initiatives and are as varied and innovative as the people involved.
For example, current CSA farms allow people to:
- Receive a weekly box of vegetables throughout the year
- Help with the running of an organic farm
- Ensure their local farm shop continues to thrive
- Sponsor an apple tree and harvest its fruit
- Rent a plot of farmland and have vegetables grown on their behalf
- Buy shares in a cow and receive interest in cheese
- Rent-a-vine from one of Britain's few vineyards
All of these initiatives emphasise the connection between the farm and the communities they serve. Many organise lively social events celebrating the seasons and the farming calendar, and there are always opportunities for work on the farm.
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