A promising new type of cooperative agricultural model is starting to take hold on farms near urban areas. Scott Malone’s Reuters story on community-supported agriculture (CSAs) describes how one such cooperative, located 20 miles southwest of Boston, operates. Essentially, the farmers sell shares of their predicted seasonal crops to customers. When the crops are ready, the customers come to the farm on certain times and pick up their share of the produce for that time period.The owner of the CSA southwest of Boston has been very happy with the results since she turned to the CSA model. Laura Tangerini, who operates a CSA on her farm outside of Boston, said in the Reuter’ story ‘“What I’m seeing with the CSA is a future for my farm past me.”’ According to the Reuter’s story the CSA has been so successful that Tangerini no longer borrows money to cover seed and other early-season expenses.
While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not previously counted CSAs in its census of agriculture, the department does have figures showing “12,549 U.S. farms had sold products through CSAs in 2007.” This represents less than 1 percent of the 2.1 million farms nationwide. Still, many farmers are turning to the model because they can grow a diversity of crops to attract a diverse group of customers who prefer fresh food. Additionally, the farmers do not have to take their produce to a farmer’s market to sell since the customer comes to them. Finally, because members of the CSA buy a share of the produce, they share in the farmer’s risk. As the Reuter’s story says, “If a particular crop fails, members typically have to go without or find another source.”
Ben Doherty, who runs Open Hands Farm in Minnesota, says he likes the shared risk of the CSA. According to the Reuters story, Doherty stated, ‘"It takes a lot of the risk and a lot of the fear out of the farming . . . If we have mediocre or bad tomatoes for the year, we don't make $5,000 or $10,000 less. Everybody gets a few less tomatoes."’
Whatever the reason a person likes CSAs, the model seems to have plenty of promising growth potential. To read the Reuters article click here.
posted: 08/27/09
