Search    Get Updates by:  E-Mail  or

  Project Information

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Last Updated on April 19th, 2010
 

Project Title: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Project Number: CL1-07-NO

Term of Project: 2006/2007 to March 2007

Status: Completed

Academic Researcher:

Student Researchers:

Community Researchers:

Community Partner:

Project Summary:

The goal of this project is to create a handbook for new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) start-ups.

What is community supported agriculture (CSA)?

  • an alternative food supply system that gives local people the power to help protect the environment
  • a system that connects local growers to local consumers in co-operation
  • a model that helps develop a healthy regional food supply system
  • a system that helps build a strong local economy
  • a method of empowering people on an individual basis, then on a community basis, and eventually on a regional, national and even global basis
  • often described as “farming with a face on it” or “putting the culture back into agriculture”

Specific Project-Level Research Objectives:

Expected Deliverables:

  1. CSA tool (manual on how to start a CSA)
  2. Meeting with stakeholders
  3. Final report

Findings:

The handbook that was developed describes the CSA philosophy, its significance, and the organizational model, which is open and flexible, depending on the members’ and farmers’ needs, and has varying levels of member participation payment arrangements. It also describes how to set up a CSA group, tips for making the group a success, a checklist, and a brief case study of the Just Picked CSA, formed in 2004.

Project Poster: Poster (pdf)

Final Report: Final Report (pdf)

Projected Expenditures: $2,000

In-Kind Contributions:

Publicity:

Dissemination Activities:

Additional Notes: