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market-farming - Re: the "Community Support" in Community Supported Agriculture

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  • From: "Shari" <sasfarm AT hevanet.com>
  • Subject: Re: the "Community Support" in Community Supported Agriculture
  • Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 16:54:14 -0700


To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
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>
> I am a graduate student in the department of Rural Sociology at Cornell
> University and I am doing research on CSA's as a method/mechanism for
> community development. I have been working with some local CSA farms,
> farmers, and members. I am exploring what the "community-supported" in
> Community Supported Agriculture is in the eyes and hearts of CSA farmers
> and members, both ideologically and practically.
>
I'm glad you're doing this and I would be very interested to hear of your
results of this survey. As I've been struggling with the marketing of such
an obscure term, I wonder how others have been thinking about and presenting
it to others as well.

I agree with Groh and McFadden in the book
> "Farms of Tomorrow Revisited" --"Although it may seem a fine point, the
> primary need is not for the farm to be supported by the community, but
> rather for the community to support itself through farming." It is in this
> way that I see both farmers and consumers involved in CSA's as active
> participants in supporting community.
true, true!
>
>
> (1) the ideological and practical ways that CSA farmers practice community
> support
We are involved in our broader, Portland metro-area community by: speaking
to neighborhood associations and schools (classes or groups), being on
public radio, participating in community events such as Earth Day and
tabling at receptions for certain guest speakers. For 5 years all the local
CSA's use to get together to put on a tomato tasting event during the
harvest festival of the downtown Farmers Market. (we don't do it anymore)
Our CSA also made donations to the food bank and a midwifery school. We
take on interns, volunteers, and offer working shares. We also have a
scholarship fund for low-income members.
>
> (2) the ideological and practical ways that CSA members practice community
> support
>
Members "practice community support" by being members! and
-by contributing to the low income fund
-by helping out at pick up, helping with the marketing, or by offering homes
for pick up sites
-by spreading the word to others
-by agreeing to be in our "core group" (which we haven't started yet)

> (3) are you a farmer, a member, or a CSA supporter

I am a farmer, going on 5th year.

> I will be more than happy to provide copies of my study to anyone interested
once it is written up.
I'm interested!


thank you!
Shari Sirkin
74 NE Saratoga
Portland, OR 97211
503.267.5482



  • Re: the "Community Support" in Community Supported Agriculture, Shari, 04/23/2001

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