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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] CSA definition was End of season?
  • Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 22:50:24 -0400

Hey Ed, saw your post, waited for someone else to answer but since they
didn't...a bit hard to do in a nut shell but here goes:

CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture". Basically a "community"
of like-minded folk put up the "front" money for a farmer to grow food for
them by buying "shares" of the harvest before the crop is planted due to
farm expenses being heavier on the front end before planting.

The members are called "shareholders" much like business investors. The
shareholders share in the harvest or crop failure throughout the growing
season. This spreads out the risk so the farmer doesn't bear the whole
burden; the common motto for traditional CSAs is "Share the risk, share the
bounty" though many CSAs are based more on the subscription model.

In traditional CSAs, the total cost of farm operations, profit, farmer's
salary, etc is projected and a price for a share determined. In a
subscription CSA, a farmer determines how much his market will bear, sets a
price, and then gets as many shareholders as he thinks he can harvest for.
The CSA usually isn't the only form of farm income, so a farm's
costs/expenses/salaries/etc are spread out over the CSA AND other sales such
as farmer's markets, roadside stand, restaurants, etc.

Did I 'splain it clear enough or muddy the waters even further?? ; )))

Liz

Liz Pike
Laughingbrook Farm
Westfield NC
http://www.marketfarming.com
http://www.laughingbrookfarm.com/daybookoct_3_03.asp Latest Daybook Entry!!






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