Good question! I’ve had several friends ask me recently, after I told them what I was doing, what exactly a CSA is. This is something that I myself didn’t fully understand before actually working here, and something which I probably still don’t 100% “get” as it is kinda confusing. But i’ll try and explain the best I can.
But first! Our eggs are all done hatching and we had quite the turnout… *drumroll*
una pollita
Yes, once again we are left with one baby bird. I don’t know what it is with this, but i guess we’ll have to settle for one at a time. On the plus side, there were no fire ants this time around, and if you compare the picture of this bird with the baby turkey, this one is much better looking. Although it is much louder which is no good.
Anyway, back to the CSA. I guess the real basic idea is this: We all need food to live, and food usually comes from farms (except things like soda and energy bars and candy and breakfast cereals… but even some of those ingredients need to be grown). Now in order to get that food you obviously need to buy from a farm or start growing/raising your own food, obviously. Since most people choose the former option we end up with things like grocery stores to get lots of food to people as quickly and cheaply as possible, hybrid and GMO produce to grow the biggest and most, and factory farms to do the same.
Where the CSA idea comes in is at this point in the chain of supply. Some people are choosing to bypass all those steps and buy directly from smaller (usually) organic (usually) farms. This can be from a farmer’s market, a roadside stand, a store at the farm or u-pick, or a CSA (that’s us!). Here is the difference between the CSA and all those other options: with the others you are buying a carrot, or some lettuce, or some fruit, but with us you are purchasing a membership (a share as we call it) with the actual farm and farmers. So what does that mean? It means that instead of supporting us only through the purchase of our product, you are putting money directly into the ground in the form of seeds, you are purchasing fencing for new pasture for grass-fed beef, you are picking up the tab for the broken clutch on the tractor we need for plowing… and that is way better for everybody.
So it’s a little bit like a sponsorship, the member assists with the financial support of the farm (a cause which they believe in for the above reasons) and in return they get a number of benefits. Benefit #1: Great access to an actual farm, with opportunities to visit, learn, work, and socialize. Benefit #2: The knowledge that you are participating in an effort to make the world a better place by sponsoring local food, sustainable growing techniques, and small business. Benefit #3: A physical share of whatever success the farm happens to have. This last one can take the shape of a jar of honey, a few pounds of beef, some eggs and milk every week, or a box of vegetables. BUT although those are the rewards, there are plenty of risks, and benefits aimed for are not necessarily benefits promised.
And that is what makes it a pretty good idea, that the member assumes the responsibility right alongside the farmer. So, say the farmer’s chicken coup burns down, the members might not be getting any eggs for a while but their money will go towards building a new one, and soon there will be more eggs than before. And the farmer might even let some of them come out and help build it on a weekend 
So that’s what it is, there are a lot of other interesting facets to it, especially in the way that something like this would work on a broad scale (would it?) and how compatible it is with modern society (is it?). Hopefully this gets you thinking and explains a little!
Tags: baby chick, CSA, Organic Farming, WWOOF
October 15, 2009 at 11:32 pm |
Love that chick! Aw, maybe take papas suggestion….
Miss you!