CSA

The term CSA describes a relationship between a farm and the local people who consume the food the farm produces. Modeled after a producer-consumer alliance practiced in Switzerland, the first CSA was created in 1986 in Massachusetts. Today several thousand farms throughout the country participate in this mutually beneficial partnership. With 2,500 farms listed in their database, Local Harvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSAs in the country. Find one near you!

By participating in a CSA, a community member essentially buys a share of a farm’s harvest before the season begins, understanding that unpredictable conditions such as weather and labor supply can effect the harvest. The security of a contract eliminates the need for farmers to invest time marketing their produce during the busy growing season, enabling them to concentrate solely on producing food. In exchange, participating families receive the highest quality produce, often organically grown, and always freshly picked at the peak of its ripeness.