A CSA, which stands for community-supported agriculture, can be a wonderful way to learn about different kinds of produce while supporting local communities. From the farmers' perspectives, the model provides a reliable base of customers for their seasonal produce, which can be a crucial lifeline for smaller operations. For the consumers, CSAs can also be a great way to force home cooks out of their comfort zones with whatever they're given that week or month.
CSAs have grown in popularity in recent years, and these days, you can get practically anything via its model. No longer just for vegetables, CSAs run the gamut from community-supported fisheries to gelato shares. Yep, gelato.
Here are just some of the many CSAs you can sign up for:
Grains
Grain shares, like Massachusetts-based Pioneer Valley, offer whole grains and flours. If you're up for milling your own wheat or simply getting flour that hasn't been overly processed, a grain CSA may be for you.
Honey
In light of the honeybee crisis--"more than 40 percent of honeybee colonies died" between April 2012 and April 2013, the Wall Street Journal reports--joining a honey CSA right now is more responsible than ever. You're not just getting locally produced honey when you join communities like Urban Bee Co., but you're also joining the stewardship movement.
Fish
Community-supported fisheries, like Mermaid's Garden in Brooklyn or Community Seafood in Santa Barbara, are an excellent way to support sustainable fishing methods, another crucial issue right now. Say so long to fish fraud and hello to sustainable seafood.
Meat
Call it "ranch to table." Thanks to places like New York's 8 O'clock Ranch or Garden of Eve, the meat CSA movement is alive and thriving, delivering sustainably raised beef, pork and chicken to the meat lovers of America. Carnivores can finally participate.
Dairy
In addition to meat, many farms, like New York's Greyrock Farm, are also offering dairy in CSAs. This means milk, and, yes, it also means cheese. Milk Not Jails takes the CSA mission to the next level by not only supporting community agriculture but also advocating for prison reform in New York State.
Gelato
Speaking of dairy CSAs going the extra mile, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Illinois offers gelato in its CSA during certain times of the year. Pints of gelato delivered straight to your door: Just think about that.
Wine
"Community-supported alcohol," as it's come to be called, is pretty easy to get behind. Unlike a wine-of-the-month club, winemakers offer shares of wine, often limited edition, that buyers agree to purchase in advance of production. Hudson Valley-based Enlightenment Wines also follows the CSA model by delivering directly to the consumer, and the winery goes so far as to welcome customer feedback, suggestions and even participation.
Etc.
Of course, vegetable-centric CSAs aren't going out of style either, and some go beyond simply delivering seasonal produce. Wisconsin's Harvest Moon Farms offers a multimedia experience with its deliveries, including e-newsletters and videos. Transplanting Traditions supports refugee adults and children by giving them access to land and then facilitating their sales.
8 Reasons To Join A CSA
CSAs are the best way to support your local farm.(01 of08)
Open Image ModalSmall farms are not high-profit businesses. And they have to compete with big corporate farms, which only makes things harder. But joining a CSA is the best way to support a small farm that puts in place good, sustainable practices for growing food. (credit:Flickr: Kris Van de Sande)
It reconnects you with how your food is produced.(02 of08)
Open Image ModalThere's something natural about knowing that your food was planted, grown and harvested by an actual human. It connects us to the food we eat and to the land that produces it. (credit:Flickr: Kris Van de Sande)
A big box of farm-fresh produce put together just for you is pretty great. (03 of08)
Open Image ModalThis part is the BEST. Every week you get a huge haul of summer-fresh fruits and vegetables put together specifically for you. Just think of all the tomatoes, melons, summer squash and all the basil you'll welcome into your home. It's AH-mazing. (credit:Flickr: Pam)
CSAs are the best way to learn about new foods.(04 of08)
Open Image ModalNot everything that goes into your box are cucumbers and eggplants. Farms grow all kinds of produce -- rotating crops is a big part of keeping soil healthy -- and all of it goes into your share. You'll learn to cook kholrabi and saute chickweed. It's a learning experience that will make you a more well-rounded cook. (credit:Flickr: ~Haunted Threads~ at Etsy)
You'll get to visit the farm and see where your food grows. (05 of08)
Open Image ModalSome of the farms that offer CSAs organize days when members can visit. Some even offer pick-your-own produce days for wholesale prices. It's the best way to stock your freezer with strawberries for the year or to get your hands on bulk cucumbers for pickling. (credit:Flickr: Adrienne)
CSAs give farmers a chance to get the marketing done before their busy season.(06 of08)
Open Image ModalOnce the harvest starts coming in, life on a farm gets really busy and marketing usually falls to the end of the to-do list. Having shares sold before the season gives farms a chance to check one thing off. (credit:Flickr: Adam Welly & Jaime Moore)
You save money on top-quality groceries.(07 of08)
Open Image ModalIt doesn't get much better than hand picked and locally grown. (credit:Flickr: Hey! Sam !!)
Your understanding of seasonal eating will expand dramatically.(08 of08)
Open Image ModalThe fact that you can buy tomatoes any time of the year at the grocery store has left us all confused. Tomatoes grow in the summer and that's it. When you eat from your local farm, you have no choice but to eat seasonal options. It's good for us, for the farmers, and the earth. (credit:Flickr: Christopher Paquette)
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