Community Supported Agriculture: Organic Food in your area

Many people are not familiar with Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, but it can be a great way to “find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area“.

One of my local growers, Desert Roots Farm, describes it like this: “CSA is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Supporters cover a farm’s yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season’s harvest. ”

They offer “Whole” and “Half” share memberships. 4 weeks of a half share may be as low as $72, and here’s an example of the quantity of produce you might get weekly in a half share:
1/2 pound bag of gourmet lettuce mix
bunch of carrots
bunch of radishes
1/2 pound broccoli
bunch of beets
smaller bunch of kale
some cilantro

For 4 weeks of a whole share, prices start at $92, and your weekly veggie quantity will look something like this:
1 pound bag of gourmet lettuce mix
bunch of carrots(9-10)
bunch of radishes (7-8)
3/4 pound broccoli
bunch of beets(5-6)
bunch of kale
some cilantro

From what I understand, all shares must be prepaid in advance, but when you consider the bargains you’ll be getting, I think it’s a great deal. For example, the half share works out to $18 a week for all that food. What a great deal for organic produce!

If you don’t live in the metro Phoenix area, don’t worry, there are CSAs nationwide that offer buyers the opportunity to receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, coffee, or any sort of different farm product”. Local Harvest has a great database of farms and farmers that offer Community Supported Agriculture. Some of the farms even offer delivery and/or pick up at convenient locations.

By being part of a CSA, you can maximize your food dollars while eating organic food.You’ll be supporting a local grower and you’ll gain the benefits of knowing who grew your food and what they used on it. In my opinion, it’s a win-win solution for everyone involved.