Eat Your Fresh Veggies!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a growing movement which provides people with the means to regain control over the origin and handling of their food. It simplifies the long chain of events that brings food from our modern agricultural system to the consumer--events that decrease the food's nutritional value, contaminate it with chemicals, and pad the pockets of middlemen.

Based on the principle that the consumer and the farmer should know each other, CSA has been practiced in Europe and Japan for 30 years and came to the U.S. in 1985. There are an estimated 400 to 600 CSA farms across the U.S. People become a part of a CSA project by paying in advance to support a farm for a season. In return, the shareholders receive one share of whatever the farm has ready to harvest each week of a 20 week growing season.

Farmers agree to meet the production goals to the best of their ability and the members agree to pay the costs of production, regardless of the actual harvest. The advantage to the consumer is that the CSA farm provides you with high quality, super-fresh organic produce which is impossible to find in the supermarket. CSA also gives non-farmers a chance to get more involved in producing and distributing their own food. Farms sponsor tours, workdays, and harvest festivals to bring shareholders out to the farm. CSA farms also often ask shareholders to help deliver shares, sponsor drop-off sites, manage shareholder lists, write newsletters, etc. Shareholders learn how a farm works, discover the relationship between growing food and the environment, and see the true costs of food production. By sharing the risks as well as the benefits and responsibilities, interdependence between the consumer and the farmer is restored. CSA farmers are freed from the time constraints of marketing their produce, because they already have a guaranteed distribution network.

Typically, a farmer takes out loans at the beginning of the growing season to purchase seed, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, and to pay crop insurance premiums in case a crop fails. A high proportion of a farmer's earnings goes to pay interest on debt. On a CSA farm there is no need for any of this. The farmer gets money up front from the shareholders, allowing the farmer to focus on raising crops. In addition, small farming methods (such as companion planting) eliminates the need for pesticides, herbicides, and highly specialized heavy equipment. No marketing expense, no hassle, no middlemen and the opportunity to focus on what the farmer does best: grow food.

While spending money for vegetables that are not even planted yet may be difficult for some, membership is generally a bargain in the long run. CSA saves shareholders 30% to 50% over purchasing organic food in a supermarket. Each week during the harvest season, members receive an interesting variety of the freshest possible produce. Since most CSA farms use organic growing techniques, members' concerns over chemical residues is alleviated. In all operations, pest control, tillage, and fertilization are viewed according to their effect on the environment. The land is treated with the respect it deserves.

CSA projects that serve the Seattle area include: Brigit Croft Farm, 425-335-5952; Coyote Farm CSA, 360-705-2490; Flying Rhino Farm, 360-273-7630; Frog's Song Farm, 360-445-3054; Full Circle Farm, 425-831-2151; Goodlett's Farmlett, 206-722-0508; Growing Things, 206-333-6386; Helsing Junction Farm 360-273-2033; Pike Place Market Basket, 206-682-7453; The Longfellow Creek CSA, 206-933-6606; The Root Connection, 425-774-8844; Stoney Plains Organic Farm, 360-273-6786; and Whistling Train Farm, 253-854-1689.

Share costs range from $375 to $600 and will supply enough veggies for two to six people, depending on your appetite and whether you eat mostly veggies or add animal products to your diet. For people who like to can, a single share is ideal. Half shares are also available at most CSA projects. Some have fruits and some have egg options.

The Pike Place Market Basket CSA is a slight variation of the typical CSA. The produce is supplied by a core of eight farmers, and the CSA is managed by a nonprofit organization. The link between farmer and consumer is not as direct, but it is a good way to get introduced to the CSA concept and still receive all the other benefits of a CSA project. There are some small differences between them all. For example, Flying Rhino has wild mushrooms and Full Circle Farm offers a market-style selection at their farm. Most also offer work exchanges (workshares) in lieu of the share fees. Shares are still available for this growing season, so give them a call and start eating your fresh veggies every day, while you support your local farmers.

For more information, Seattle Tilth (206-633-5045) has a detailed guide of Puget Sound CSA farms, or check our these web pages: http://www.halcyon.com/bbrown/links.htm for a list of CSAs in Washington or http://www.prairienet.org/pcsa/csa-l.html for info on CSAs nationwide.

Stump Talk is put out every other week by a few ecofreaks. If you want to help out, contact NW Forest Action Group, 206-632-1656, email can@scn.org.