By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.com
CSAs and Organic Food
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program in which many farms offer subscriptions.
Under this program, subscribers receive a weekly or monthly basket of locally grown, in-season fruits, vegetables, flowers, eggs, and milk; sometimes other products like coffee or tea are included as well.
Most of the products in the baskets are products that are produced on the farm, but they don't have to be. Under a CSA program, there is a relationship developed between the farm and the member's (shareholder's or subscriber's - several terms are used).
Not all of the farms in the CSA program are organic farms, although many are.
By making a financial commitment to a farm in a CSA program, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. The membership entitles them to receive produce from the farm on a regular basis through the growing season.
Usually memberships are paid for annually, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments, and some CSAs also require that members work a few hours on the farm each week during the growing season.
Regulations and requirements vary from farm to farm.
The Community Supported Agriculture program is not one that has been well advertised nationally.
You might see some advertisements for locally owned farms that are part of the program and you will have to determine which farms are organic and which are not.
This is, however, a method that those who want fresh, organically grown fruit and vegetables that can be purchased locally.
More and more of the farms that are in the Community Supported Agriculture program are organic farms.
There's still a long way to go, but organic farming is on the increase along with the demand for organically produced food.
1. CSA’ S AND O RGANIC
F OOD
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2. C OMMUNITY S UPPORTED A GRICULTURE
(CSA) IS A PROGRAM IN WHICH MANY
FARMS OFFER SUBSCRIPTIONS .
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3. U NDER THIS PROGRAM , SUBSCRIBERS
RECEIVE A WEEKLY OR MONTHLY BASKET
OF LOCALLY GROWN , IN - SEASON FRUITS ,
VEGETABLES , FLOWERS , EGGS , AND
MILK ;
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5. M OST OF THE PRODUCTS IN THE
BASKETS ARE PRODUCTS THAT ARE
PRODUCED ON THE FARM , BUT THEY
DON ' T HAVE TO BE .
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6. U NDER A CSA PROGRAM , THERE IS A
RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED BETWEEN
THE FARM AND THE MEMBER ' S
( SHAREHOLDER ' S OR SUBSCRIBER ' S -
SEVERAL TERMS ARE USED ).
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7. N OT ALL OF THE FARMS IN THE CSA
PROGRAM ARE ORGANIC FARMS ,
ALTHOUGH MANY ARE .
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8. B Y MAKING A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
TO A FARM IN A CSA PROGRAM ,
PEOPLE BECOME " MEMBERS " ( OR
" SHAREHOLDERS ," OR " SUBSCRIBERS ")
OF THE CSA.
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9. T HE MEMBERSHIP ENTITLES THEM TO
RECEIVE PRODUCE FROM THE FARM ON
A REGULAR BASIS THROUGH THE
GROWING SEASON .
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10. U SUALLY MEMBERSHIPS ARE PAID FOR
ANNUALLY, BUT SOME FARMERS WILL
ACCEPT WEEKLY OR MONTHLY
PAYMENTS , AND SOME CSA S ALSO
REQUIRE THAT MEMBERS WORK A FEW
HOURS ON THE FARM EACH WEEK
DURING THE GROWING SEASON .
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11. R EGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
VARY FROM FARM TO FARM .
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12. T HE C OMMUNITY S UPPORTED
A GRICULTURE PROGRAM IS NOT ONE
THAT HAS BEEN WELL ADVERTISED
NATIONALLY.
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