COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE
The CSA model aspires to provide a fair wage to the farmer by cutting out the middleman (e.g. packaging companies, transport and supermarkets). The harvesters’ contributions cover the costs of producing fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers for them to take home (with prices that are lower than those in the organic shop), and also provides many extra benefits including:
- Creating and maintaining biodiverse ecosystems – both above and below ground
- Fighting climate change by improving the soil and increasing its potential to sequester CO2
- Preserving genetic diversity and self-reliance through seed saving
- Building new knowledge about farming and keeping existing knowledge alive so that it can be passed onto future generations
- Building a community of people who appreciate unusual food and are excited to share ideas and inspiration
- Helping to make the planet plastic-free, and reducing CO2 emissions and oil dependence by eating locally
- Creating spaces where future farmers (including our interns and volunteers) can learn; where people of all ages can participate in the growing and harvesting process, and where everyone can relax, engage and experience joy