Community Supported Agriculture has gained speed in the United States over the past decade as people have become more concerned about where their food is coming from. Community Supported Agriculture refers to a system where the consumers are directly involved with the purchase of local, usually organically grown produce. Most CSAs work by having the consumer buy a share of food. Each week the individual either picks up their share or it is delivered to their house. CSAs are a good way for small and medium sized farms to presell their products, helping them offset the upfront costs associated with farming.
Though CSAs are just gaining momentum in the U.S, other places in the world have been using CSAs for decades with great success. CSAs did not really even come onto the radar in the United States until a man by the name of Jan VanderTuin brought the concept over from Europe in 1984. However, in the mid 1960s, countries such as Japan, Switzerland, and Germany were starting to realize that there were problems with industrially produced food. Consumers came together to work with their local farmers to start the first rudimentary CSAs. This article by Acres USA takes the reader on a tour of several CSA farms in Japan and examines the different practices that they use.
Nourish the Planet believes in the power of local producers. Call or click here for more information about our northern Colorado CSA.
-written by Rachel
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