New name?

Recent years seem to have seen a regional co-opting of the term CSA. Farmers I know have started to refer to these as "Third party CSAs." Although, these company's (because they are not farms) are sourcing their product from many farms with no direct relationship (other then buying and selling) to the agricultural process.

This should be differentiated from farms which offer a few items from other farms to slightly expand offerings. I like to say if you do not know your farmer you do not belong to a CSA. However as CSA means "Community Supported Agriculture" almost anyone selling any produce could claim the community (their customers) are supporting agriculture.

So maybe CSAs should find a new term? One not so easily co-opted. The orginal name for CSAs in Japan where they originated was Teikei. The defination of the term is a system of community-supported agriculture in where consumers purchase food directly from farmers. But, honestly, I don't even know how to say Teikei.

I found another acronym - LSPPC, Local Solidarity Partenerhips between Producers and Consumers. Maybe that is a harder term to take over? It certainly is longer then CSA, and not as easy for members to say "I belong to a CSA" then "I belong to a LSPPC." Sounds like you should be rescuing animals or protesting in northern Ireland. IT does sound a little militant.

But maybe instead of all of us changing our names, we should just continue to educate our members and the greater community about local agriculture. And while there is a valid place for local food delivery services and "Box schemes" (as they are called in England,) I will stand by my basic assertion. If you don't know the person who grows your food, you do not belong to a CSA.

Is a CSA right for your family?

For many families a CSA membership is a significant financial investment, so it is important to decide if it is right for your family before you commit the time and money to a farm. If you are not happy it will not be good for either you or the farmer. Ask yourself these questions.

1. Are you joining a CSA to save money? If this is your primary goal you may be disappointed. While a CSA membership typically offers a good value when compared with high quality organic produce it is not going to be cheaper then buying the produce on sale at your local grocery store.
2. Are you prepared to cook? Much of the produce you receive in your shares will need to be cooked. If you usually make only salads and occasionally steam a some green beans, you may be disillusioned with the amount of work it takes to turn your pile of veggies into meals.
3. Will your kids (or husband) try new things? Beets, turnips, eggplant, parsnips, Swiss chard, collards, winter squash of every shape and more will come with your share. In most CSAs (and almost all "real" farm-centered CSAs) you will regularly see items that may not normally make it to your table. When Mom ends up in weekly battles produce can go to waste and people can get unhappy.
4. Are you willing to experiment? CSAs plan and plant for a "normal" year, but no year is "normal" they all are unique in their own way, so every year certain items thrive, and when they do you will see more of it in your CSA basket then you probably know what to do with! CSAs usually give recipes to help with creative ways to use Swiss Chard for the fourth week in a row, or beets yet again, but typically the best bet is to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and try new combinations. Who knows, you may find new favorites!
5. Are you ready for the commitment? While many CSAs require little from members besides payment and pickup some ask for regular work commitments as well. Even if they do not the scheduled pickup times can get hard to cram in between work, errands, and children's activities.
6. Do you eat out a lot? We have found that people who eat out 3 or more nights a week can have trouble getting through their veggies. If you use less produce, either because you are single, a couple, enjoy restaurants, or other lifestyle items consider joining a CSA with an option for a biweekly or half share.
7. Are you ready for great food and a great experience? Most of the time CSA memberships work out great for the member and the farmer! Know your farmer, your farm, ask questions before you join, and realize there is a commitment required to work through a pile of vegetables every week and then just enjoy the bounty that a CSA membership can bring to your family!

If you are thinking a CSA is right for your family, now is the time to find open spaces! We still have a handful of spaces if you are interested in our farm, or explore others in your area.

Local coffee...

The local food trend has become so popular and trendy that it is moving out ahead of general knowledge about it...

I have a friend who was telling me about his roomate who just joined a "CSA" with local deliveries and a choice every week of lots of local things like local pork, berries, and veggies. That is all great, although with that list I am pretty sure I can guess which "CSA" he joined.

But then my friend said he had fresh pasta made with local flour. I said "Really? Spelt pasta?" as this is the primary grain around here which is milled small enough for pasta, most of our local flour is pretty rough. Enough that I add King Aruther's when I make bread, but for pasta? He said that he doubted his roommate knew what he was talking about. I said there are some really great artisianal pasta makers in our area, but none that I was aware of use local flour.

He then told me about the latest discussion he had with his roommate. He had Local Coffee in his share this week. I said, there are some really good local roasters, but he said no his roommate INSISTED that the coffee was grown locally. (I am sure that his "CSA" did not tell him it was locally grown, but neither did they tell him what its origin was.)

Obviously, my friend, knows that there are NOT coffee farms in Northern Ohio. But he could not convince his roommate of this fact. He insisted that everything this "CSA" gives him is grown on local farms. Even his coffee. "There is no reason that a farmer who wanted to couldn't grow coffee in Ohio!" It does not take much knowledge of food to know that you cannot grow coffee in a place where snow regularly passes your knees. I suppose with heated greenhouses it might be possible, $400/lb coffee anyone?

I will reiterate what I have said before. If you do not know your farmer you do not belong to a CSA. The term is being co-opted by people who are operating what they call in England "Box-Schemes" where local food is bought and resold to the customer. There are CSAs in other areas which are run by a group of farms, but farms are at the center, not a third party marketer. Some CSAs offer items from other farms when there is something they do not grow. But again the farm and farmer is at the center of the CSA.

I may never be able to give my members "Locally grown coffee," and there may be years when tomatoes are late because I wait for ours to ripen and do not just buy someone elses. But I think that the difference between the CSA and Box-Scheme is the difference that will mean the success or failure of small family farms.