CSA

An acronym for Community Supported Agriculture, CSAs are a way for consumers to support local farms by subscribing to a regular portion of product. This helps the farmers plan how much to grow and ensures a certain amount of sales. The consumer benefits by getting local, usually organic food from a known source.

According to The Free Dictionary: “Community supported agriculture began in the United States in 1984, when Jan Vander Tuin brought the concept of CSA to North America from Europe. Vander Tuin had co-founded a community-supported agricultural project named Topanimbur, located near Zurich, Switzerland. Coinage of the term, community-supported agriculture, stems from Vander Tuin and the Great Barrington CSA that he co-founded with Robyn Van En, its proprietor.”

I subscribed to Eatwell Farm for years when I lived in San Francisco. Now I get a small box from Farm Fresh to You every other week. It saves me time, since they deliver right to my door, and I end up eating a wider variety of produce than I would otherwise. This week I’m looking forward to asparagus, strawberries, red chard, several different citruses, Yellow Finn potatoes, and cauliflower.