For Farmers

The CSA model has proven beneficial enough to grow into a movement. Farmers benefit in many ways.

 Cash Flow for Farmers

• For one thing, farmers might get paid early in the season, which helps with cash flow. They don’t need to take out risky loans to buy seed and amendments or to maintain, repair, and replace equipment and facilities. Since the money they receive isn’t only contingent on their results, they get the community to share the risks inherent in small-scale, local farming.

Getting to Know Customers & Community

• By weaving together the community, the farmers also get to know the people who eat the food they grow. Beyond the warm feelings of social connection and gratitude, this also allows farmers to understand their market better and thereby match their crop choices and commercial policies to consumer preferences.

For Consumers

• As a consumer of a CSA, you benefit as least as much as farmers. Consumer benefits include:

 Farm-Direct Produce

• You get produce directly from a local farm, which makes it super-fresh, and often tastier and healthier than anything you can find in the supermarket or online delivery service.

 Getting Creative with Produce

• While less control over what you get might be a downside for some, it’s also a potential upside, as you may discover new fruits and vegetables that you might not have otherwise tried. If your kitchen routine is getting a little stale, then maybe a funny looking kabocha squash or bulb of kohlrabi is just what your inner Julia Child ordered.

 Knowing Where Your Food Comes From

• You also benefit from a close relationship with your local farms. You can meet the farmers and feel good knowing exactly where your food comes from — and where your money is going. Often, you can visit the farms and see for yourself if the workers receive fair treatment. And if the farm is following environmental practices that enhance, rather than degrade, the community where you live.

 Relatively Inexpensive

• And while the up-front investment might make you gulp a little (a typical summer share might cost a few hundred dollars), CSAs are often relatively inexpensive considering the amount, variety, and quality of produce you receive in a good year.

Don’t Have to Deal with Grocery Stores

• It’s also a convenient way to get all your produce shopping done in one pickup. You don’t have to “gather” your produce from a large supermarket. Instead, just grab your box and bring it home. No need to worry about masks, long lines to get in or check out, or the potential dangers of indoor public spaces.