Community Supported Agriculture benefits consumers and farmers

Community Supported Agriculture might be defined as a partnership between farmers and consumers. The U.S. government farming organization ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas) has this definition of a CSA on their website:

"In basic terms, CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

Members or shareholders of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land. Members also share in risks, including poor harvest due to unfavourable weather or pests."

However you define it, the key point is that a group of people in the community pay a farmer to grow vegetables for them. And in many cases they pay in advance for the season.

Community Supported Agriculture is a powerful model, letting the farmer use that advance payment to 'bootstrap' farm operations (hey, that sounds familiar!) Yes, the New Terra Farm Bootstrap Market Garden is based on Community Supported Agriculture.

The farmer receives other advantages with a CSA:

• Customers are 'locked in' for the season - once they sign up with a CSA, no other marketing is required;
• This 'captive market' may also buy other products that the farmer can provide
• No price competition - it doesn't matter what a neighbouring gardener is selling her produce for - your produce is already sold (in advance!)

There are benefits for the consumer as well:

• The consumer is assured of a supply of fresh natural veggies, from a known source
• The consumer connects back to the real source of food, i.e. the land
• The consumer receives the satisfaction of supporting a local sustainable business

So buying from a CSA program is a great way to get good food and support local business. And if you have ever thought about turning your love of gardening into a business, we highly recommend you consider the Community Supported Agriculture model.

Find a CSA in Eastern Ontario

New Terra farm is compiling a list of farms and CSAs in Eastern Ontario The list is under construction; we will shortly add the capability to add your own farm to the list. Stay tuned!

How to start a CSA market garden

1. Plan your business - set targets for number of customers you want to have, your desired income, and estimate your start-up and operating expenses.


2. Plan your garden - how much of each crop will you have to grow to satisfy your customers? How big will the garden have to be?


3. Market your garden - find a likely pool of prospective customers, and get your message out


4. Manage your garden - put in place the tools, methods and labour to grow and harvest your crops


5. Manage your business - set up a system to keep good records, track income and expenses, and garden production. This will also help with planning for next year.

That's how we started first year. We got our first customers this way, and we got some assurance that our Bootstrap Market Gardening approach was valid.

Happy gardening!

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