How can communities support local agriculture

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What is a Community Supported Agriculture CSA?

CSA stands for “community supported agriculture”. You sign up for a “share” of what’s produced on the farm each week during the growing season, including vegetables, fruit, and flowers. You pick up your CSA box at the farmer’s market or get home delivery.

How can you support local food systems?

Food Tank highlights 10 ideas to support local food systems. Choose restaurants that source foods locally and support workers. Eating locally doesn’t have to stop when you leave your kitchen. Many chefs source at least some, if not all, of their ingredients locally.

Why volunteer at a local farm?

Volunteering at a local farm can enable you to learn more about your local agriculturalist and the work they do every day, while building lasting relationships and giving back to your local food system.

Why choose local varieties?

Choosing local varieties is not only good for the local food system, but also helps preserve genetic diversity. Slow Food’s Ark of Taste can help you discover what types of foods are unique to where you live.

How can we support local agriculture?

5 Ways to Support Local FarmsBuy Direct, and in Bulk. … Spread the Word. … Eat Seasonal Food Whenever Possible. … Corporate Events and Educational Programming. … Request Local Products at Local Institutions.

What is an example of community supported agriculture?

Community Food Systems: Farm-to-School, Food Circles, and Farmers’ Markets. Local Food Systems.

How is community supported agriculture sustainable?

A few fundamental sustainable strategies that CSA farms use to minimize, or eliminate reliance on chemicals are crop rotation and use of green manures, manures and composts.

How can local agriculture be an advantage for communities?

Local farms help keep food dollars in the local economy and support small businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Community farms can serve as platforms for products and services that grow from the farm, such as value-added food products, garden education and management services, programs and events on the farm.

Why is community supported agriculture important?

CSAs provide consumers with a valuable opportunity to obtain fresh, local produce from farmers who enjoy growing food for people in their communities. Understanding who is likely to join a CSA from both the farmer’s and consumer’s perspective is invaluable to both parties and helps ensure a positive relationship.

When did community supported agriculture start?

According to Steve McFadden, writer and speaker, the CSA movement started in 1986 in the US, but was not directly influenced by the initiatives discussed in Japan. The CSA influence in the United States came from Europe. Robyn Van En was the cofounder and original owner of Indian Line Farm in the South Egremont, MA.

What is a farming community?

(ˈfɑːmɪŋ kəˈmjuːnɪtɪ ) noun. a community where farming is the main industry.

How does community shared agriculture CSA work how is it related to soil?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a production and marketing model whereby consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance. Consumers become CSA members by paying an agreed amount at the beginning of the growing season, either in one lump sum or in installments.

How do I create a CSA?

Tips for Starting a CSAFind Your Network. … Meet Potential Members. … Develop a Business Plan and Budget. … Consider Working Memberships. … Set Expectations Early. … Develop a Crop Plan. … Cultivate Memberships. … Establish a Delivery System.More items…•

How can we improve agriculture in rural areas?

How to Improve Farming ProductivityImplementation of land reforms. For improving the production, land reforms are the first and predominant point. … Interplant. … Plant more densely. … Plant many crops. … Raised beds. … Smart water management. … Heat Tolerant Varieties. … Use nitrogen.More items…•

What does CSA stand for?

CSA stands for “community supported agriculture”. You sign up for a “share” of what’s produced on the farm each week during the growing season, including vegetables, fruit, and flowers. You pick up your CSA box at the farmer’s market or get home delivery. What you get in your CSA box or bag each week depends on what’s ready or ripe on the farm.

What are the benefits of CSA?

CSAs have a lot of perks for everyone involved: You get ultra-fresh, local food and a chance to get to know the people who grow it (some farms even welcome CSA members for tours). Farmers get a guaranteed source of income early in the season and a direct connection with their customers.

How many items are in a CSA box?

You can order full or half shares of vegetables, fruit, flowers, or all three. Full CSA boxes are usually 5-9 items. Half CSA boxes shares are a similar variety and half the portion of a full share.

How to find CSA?

How do you find a CSA? Ask at your favorite farmer’s market booths. Or plug your zip code into this CSA finder from the USDA. Scroll down to learn about the CSA I’m doing this year with Paige’s Produce.

What do farmers care about?

Farmers care deeply about the food they grow and the animals they raise. They have so much pride in what they do and strive to deliver the very best product they can. Farmers are up against so much every single day, like droughts and floods, insects and blight, trade wars and political fights.

How long does it take for Paige’s Produce to pick up food?

The folks at Paige’s Produce pick your items within a day of delivery, so you’re getting the freshest food. Some of their usual CSA items include:

What if we took food for granted before?

If any of us took food for granted before, we don’t anymore.

Why is environmental awareness important?

Environmental awareness is increased because of the way the community interacts with agriculture through educational programs at schools, camps and others. These reasons encompass one critical purpose, to give back to the Earth what we take from it, and then some.

How does organic farming help soil fertility?

Building up soil fertility through organic farming practices such as cover crops, compost and animals helps store carbon in the soil, reduce need for irrigation and fertilizer and increase the productivity of the land for food production.

Why are local farms important?

Local farms help keep food dollars in the local economy and support small businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Community farms can serve as platforms for products and services that grow from the farm, such as value-added food products, garden education and management services, programs and events on the farm.

How does cooperative farming help communities?

Taking production further, the cooperative opportunities created by these communities motivates residents to socialize more with each other while engaging with the land. Think of developments like Serenbe, where the farming element has allowed the residents to not only grow food together, but enjoy it together, whether at home or at their restaurants and bake shops. Beyond the farms, communities create scenic trails, inviting families, friends and tourists, to explore the community together and strengthen their relationships with the land, their food, their farmers and themselves.

Why is food security important in underserved communities?

Underserved communities struggle with food security because of the barriers, such as cost and locale, caused by the lack of agricultural access and education. Adding an agricultural element within developments allows all residents to produce and consume organic food with little cost because we reduce the need for transportation and distribution.

How does agriculture help communities?

Beyond preserving the land, centering developments around agriculture cultivates healthy communities that promote healthy lifestyles around strong connections between people and the land, their food and their neighbors. This integrated economic model, instead of displacing farmland for housing development, can be a catalyst in preserving a portion of the farm land for nourishing the growing community. Development of these communities, or Agrihoods, can provide the land, capital, infrastructure and time for a community farm to take root and thrive.

What is citizen farmer?

As “Citizen Farmers,” residents learn how to give the land more than what they take from it, facilitating action that fosters healthier, more sustainable food systems. Adding agriculture to a community promotes education in farming, food production and land preservation across the spectrum.

Programs Promoting Urban Gardening and Farming

Many government agencies and nonprofit organizations have wholly embraced community gardens and urban farming. Local governments are in a great position to promote the cultivation of urban gardens and farms, either on public or private property.

What Else Can Local Governments Do?

If your city would like to promote community gardens and urban agriculture, you should ensure that existing codes don’t create unnecessary barriers to would-be growers. Most zoning codes continue to adhere to single-use zoning with separate residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural zones.

Conclusion

There are a number of ways a local government can facilitate growing food locally in a way that is compatible with surrounding uses. Per this helpful and comprehensive publication, a city wanting to promote community and urban agriculture should ask itself these five questions:

How to help small scale farmers?

Volunteer. Many small-scale farms can use a little extra help with a variety of tasks around the property. Volunteering at a local farm can enable you to learn more about your local agriculturalist and the work they do every day, while building lasting relationships and giving back to your local food system. There are international organizations—such as Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)—that facilitate volunteering on sustainable farms, as well as social activism organizations—such as DoSomething —that provide volunteering opportunities. Alternatively, speak to the farmers at your local market to find an outfit in need of assistance.

How to contribute to local food system?

Even if everything you buy isn’t produced in your community, you still contribute to the local food system by building seasonal foods into your recipes. In colder months, swap the heat-loving basil in pesto for a winter green like kale or beet greens. Switch the peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes in your summertime pasta primavera for broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts in fall.

How to eat locally?

Choose restaurants that source foods locally and support workers. Eating locally doesn’t have to stop when you leave your kitchen. Many chefs source at least some, if not all, of their ingredients locally. Try Sustainable Table’s Eat Well Guide or the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United’s Diners’ Guide to Ethical Eating. Alternately, go directly to restaurant websites and online menus, or call to speak with an employee to learn which of the restaurants in your neighborhood source foods from local farmers.

How to preserve genetic diversity?

Instead of factory-farmed Broad Breasted White turkeys, for instance, find a heritage breed unique to your area and discover a wonderful array of new flavors. Choosing local varieties is not only good for the local food system, but also helps preserve genetic diversity. Slow Food’s Ark of Taste can help you discover what types of foods are unique to where you live.

How to preserve local produce?

Make eating locally easier during these less bountiful months by buying up products you love while they’re in season and preserving them— pickling , canning , drying , jellying, and freezing are a few common methods.

How to support local farmers?

If you don’t want to offend your farmer, make sure to emphasize that you still love the farm’s products, and will continue your support by purchasing his or her wares at your neighborhood food stores.

What is CSA in farming?

Sign up for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to receive a share of fresh produce from a local farm, usually on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. To join, customers pay a farmer for shares at the beginning of the season. This is extremely helpful for producers, as farms incur many of the costs associated with farming before the season even begins—like buying and planting seeds, or paying workers to prepare the land. Additionally, by joining a CSA, you share in the inherent risks of the agricultural season, helping to guarantee farmers the necessary financial support each growing season.

How does increased farm size affect the environment?

Of course, increased farm size doesn’t just translate to economies of scale. It also generates massive ecological and social problems. Large, confined livestock operations require daily doses of antibiotics, contributing to the spread of pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that now kills more Americans annually than AIDS. Concentrated animal-feedlot operations don’t treat the vast amounts of sewage they produce, and instead let it fester in open “lagoons,” from which it leaches into streams, fouling water and snuffing out marine life. As for working conditions in factory slaughterhouses, things have gotten so grim that in 2005 Human Rights Watch saw fit to issue a scathing report. (Article continued below…)

What happened to all the community-scale processing facilities that flourished a generation ago?

What had happened to all the community-scale processing facilities that flourished a generation ago? The federal government watched idly, ignoring antitrust principles, while the food industry consolidated dramatically. Today, four companies process 90 percent of the beef consumed in the United States. In dairy, just two companies process nearly 70 percent of the milk produced nationally. As these giant companies scale up and buy competitors, they shutter smaller facilities and concentrate processing in vast factories geared to large-scale farms. In standard antitrust theory, when four players control more than 40 percent of a market, they have untoward power over their suppliers—in this case, farmers. The result has been a nearly wholesale obliteration of small livestock farms, and an explosion in the size of the remaining operations.