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CSAs & Buying ClubsThe following list, organized by state, provides basic information about all the CSAs and buying clubs that are available through Farm to City's partnership program. To get more information about any of the organizations in the list or to become a member, simply click on the name of the CSA or buying club to view its home page. What are CSAs and buying clubs?
Pennsylvania
New York
New Jersey
Delaware
Top of page CSA and Buying Club DefinitionsCommunity Supported Agriculture, or "CSA," is a mutually-beneficial arrangement between community members and a local farmer in which the farmer provides produce and other farm products during the growing season in exchange for payment before the season begins. Each week of the growing season, the farmer harvests the mature crops and divides the produce into "shares," typically one for each member of the CSA operation. In most CSAs, the produce supplied in the weekly share boxes is the same for each member. In some CSAs, members can select the crops they want each week from a list of mature crops that are ready to harvest. Farmers deliver the shares to pre-arranged locations for members to pick up, or members pick up their shares directly from the farm. Since CSA members pay at the beginning of the season, they share with the farmer the benefits and risks of farming that result from yearly variations in the weather. Traditional CSA: a CSA operation in which a farmer divides the week's crop yield equally among the member's share boxes. Members pay for their shares at the beginning of the season and receive weekly share deliveries of whatever produce is available at the time. Member Choice CSA: a CSA operation in which members are given some choice about what seasonal products appear in their share boxes from week to week. Members pay at the beginning of the season, and then submit their orders each week from a list of available crops. Members who do not submit weekly orders still receive a share box filled with "farmer's choice" items. Buying clubs allow their members to order food for periodic delivery, typically once a week. In some clubs, members place their orders at the end the month for the next four or five weeks; in other clubs, members place their orders more frequently. Unlike CSAs, buying clubs operate on a "pay-as-you-go" basis, allowing their members to order as much or as little food as they want from week to week. As with CSA deliveries, buying club members pick up their weekly orders from designated drop-off locations. The items offered in local food buying clubs are often not available to consumers anywhere else: artisan meats and cheeses, pastured and raw dairy products and heirloom varieties of local fruits and vegetables. Ordering food from local buying clubs is a great way for consumers to support local farmers and preserve the local environment, while at the same time enjoying fresh, seasonal and nutrient-rich foods. CSA and Buying Club Combinations Some farmers offer a traditional or member choice CSA in addition to a buying club. In these cases,
members still pay for a CSA share at the beginning of the season and then have the option of supplementing their weekly CSA deliveries
with items from the buying club.
Copyright Farm to City, LLC, 2000-2006 |
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