Pros and Cons of Consumer Supported Agriculture

Consumer supported agriculture or CSA is where you purchase a share in a farm's production. The price of the share entitles you to a certain amount of product per week or per month. CSA is a great way to experience eating seasonally and eating locally. Farmers benefit from receiving money for their produce up-front, which helps to offset the cost of production.

The Good

A well run CSA will provide you with fresh, local produce. Buying through a CSA is environmentally responsible. In some cases you pick up your share at the farm. Some CSAs will deliver to your door. Others may require you to pick up at a central location. Shipping costs are greatly reduced and you reduce your carbon footprint by eating produce that is seasonal and local. Once you know what to expect as far as amounts, joining a CSA can help keep your food bills within a budget.

CSAs offer fruits, vegetables and meat to those who purchase shares. Usually the shares are paid for at the beginning of the year. This is good for the farmer, as upfront costs can be offset by the influx of cash a CSA share brings.

You benefit from a well run CSA by getting fresh, local produce. The money you spend for your CSA share goes directly back to the local community. Fresh produce is more nutritious than produce that is picked before its prime and shipped thousands of miles to a store. Many CSA programs offer organic fruits and vegetables. Some even offer free range eggs and poultry or grass fed beef.

The Risks

Joining a CSA program is not without risk. When you purchase a share in a CSA program you and the farmer have "shared risk." It is important to understand what "shared risk" entails. For example, if you join a CSA and the agreement is 10 pounds of produce per month, usually that is what you get. However, if weather, insects or some unforeseen event occurs that has a negative impact on production, you may only get 5 pounds of produce one month. "Shared risk" means that you share in the success as well as the failures of the program.

Some CSA programs get too big, too fast. A new CSA program should start small, with only a few shares being sold. There is a lot of work to run a CSA. A farmer can have the most amazing produce, but if they cannot keep up with the demand of the CSA shareholders, and they miss delivery dates, the result is chaos and potential failure of the program. Look for a CSA program that has been in operation for 10 years. This is a good indication that it is well run.

Choosing a CSA

Before deciding to join a CSA, take the time to think about what "shared risk" means to you. If you demand that your produce is perfect and you want your dollars worth at every delivery, joining a CSA will not make you happy. However, if you understand and accept that sometimes situations beyond your control will leave you with less produce or cabbage heads that are full of worms then you will be okay with the concept of "shared risk."

Once you decide that "shared risk" is an acceptable concept, look into local farms that offer CSA programs. You may find that there are not many in your area. If you are able to locate one, make sure that you understand the terms and conditions of purchasing a share. Some CSA programs require you to participate in farm work. Others charge a higher price per share, but they deliver to your door. Ask about the types of fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat that the CSA expects to deliver. Decide if what is being offered are items that you will eat. It makes no sense to join a program that is offering food you do not enjoy.

Another consideration is the size of your family. When I joined a CSA program in 2009, I still had to purchase produce as I have 3 ravenous boys at home who eat like locusts. A small family may receive more than they can use. It is important to have an idea of what to expect with each delivery. Wasted produce is the most common reason for people not to continue with a CSA program.

My Experience

I joined Mason Creek Farm's CSA program in 2009 and I did not renew my share in that program in 2010. Instead I joined a local food cooperative, Ozark Natural Foods.

My experience with Mason Creek Farm's CSA program was a learning experience. Many times "shared risk" meant receiving produce with major insect damage. In particular, one delivery of apples was full of worms and could not be used. Other times, the produce was beautiful, but I expected that there would have been more. I found out that the delivery time was not as convenient for me as I first expected. This had to do with my schedule, Mason Creek Farms usually delivered when they said they would.

Rose, the contact person at Mason Creek Farms, is very personable and easy to deal with. She did her best to let the CSA members know of any potential problems with produce or delivery times.

For me, the CSA did not work and I am not sure that I would be happy if I had joined a different one. I am much happier hand selecting my produce at the local farmer's market and taking advantage of the food cooperative.