Time to Buy Your CSA Memberships!

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. The CSA ‘movement’ in my state (North Carolina) organized, promoted and maintained per resources and educational materials by the state’s Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the state’s Department of Agriculture and land grant universities. It’s all about small farms, sustainable agriculture, natural and organic methods, and best marketing practices for what is produced.

CSA member farms offer fruit and vegetables, flowers and landscaping plants, eggs, milk (dairies specialize in cows or goats) and cheese, pasture-fed meat, and some even participate in the AgriTourism initiatives to bring urban families and tourists out to the farms for tours and work opportunities. Consumers can purchase from favored producers at local farmer’s markets, or do what we do – buy a “share” of the coming season’s crops in the spring when the farmer needs the funding to cover seeds and the costs of getting the crop in and going.

Different producers work differently for their shares, so choose a CSA close to home in case you are expected to come to the farm to pick up your boxes and bags of goodies. At some CSAs you’ll get to pick your own strawberries, peaches, apples, etc. when they’re ripe, the farm will let you know when that happens so you can make plans. Some have workshops that let you get some close-up training on bee keeping or cheese making, even learn how to milk a goat!

There’s nothing better than getting to know your food producer personally, and getting some important hands-on opportunities to learn how it’s done, maybe put that to work in your own garden. Even better, the ability to purchase good, natural or organic produce, meat, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. from local producers will cut your food budget significantly. Prices are rising fast at the supermarket, and supermarket produce isn’t very tasty anyway.

Joining a CSA or two every season allows the homesteader to focus on producing just what they can’t get easily or cheaply from other producers in their area. It also allows the homesteader to hook up with other homesteaders and old-timers who know everything about everything in your particular area. In my experience the old-timers love nothing better than to answer questions from committed newcomers, and will often offer practical advice and encyclopedic knowledge of what it takes to survive on the land.

I easily found the CSAs in my area by doing a Google search on “CSA NC” which returned the Extension Service’s useful website. The same should work for your state too, so make use of it! Now’s the time to buy your shares, or get the lowdown on what will be available through the farmer’s market in your area, where to find your favored growers. So get on it, gang!

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