permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@sunsite.unc.edu>]

http://sunSITE.unc.edu/london   InterGarden   
http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/orgfarm/csa/
london@sunSITE.unc.edu   llondon@bellsouth.net

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998 18:06:14 -0500
From: KARL ARNE <ARNE.KARL@epamail.epa.gov>
To: csa-l@prairienet.org
Subject: Promoting CSAs

CSAs near larger cities may be able to pick up members at agencies whose
purpose are to protect the environment or human health: Regional Offices
of the Environmental Protection Agency; State Departments of Ecology;
Departments of Health, and so on.  Subscribing to a CSA gives them an
opportunity to promote an agricultural system that is attractive not only
because of the good, well-grown food but because of the environmental
advantages and the potential for CSAs to generate some needed thinking
about sustainable communities. 

I work in the Pesticide Section of EPA*s Region 10 Office in Seattle.  In
1996, I invited Bob Gregson, who with his wife Bonnie operates Island
Meadow Farm on Vashon Island, to visit EPA and describe and how they can
make a living off a few acres.  (The Gregsons have written a good and
practical little book on CSAs: *The Rebirth of the Family Farm*).  Bob
started by asking the group of about 40 EPA employees how many would like
to be farmers.  More than half raised their hands.  It struck me that one
reason people join CSAs is to somewhat vicariously live out dreams to be
farmers.  And this desire is likely stronger in people who work all day in
offices and also have some responsibility for promoting environmental or
human health protection.  They can see that CSAs are accomplishing this in
a very real way that has not and could not happen through laws,
regulations, and the other tools of bureaucracy. 

Last year I arranged for several CSAs to come on one day over lunchtime to
promote their operations, sort of a CSA fair.  This helped EPA employees
to get to know CSA farmers, and several at this office have joined CSAs
(there are many that serve the Seattle area).  I don*t think anyone has
been disappointed.  They perhaps have been puzzled at times over what to
do with bok choy or tomatillas, but overall pleased with the fresh,
good-tasting food.  Some join because they want organic food, some because
they see the economic and environmental advantages of local agriculture,
and some join because of the satisfaction of supporting, for example,
Seattle*s Rainier Vista Sunrise Garden, which is operated by seven
immigrant Vietnamese families. 

The point is this: these agencies provide a potential source of CSA
members in one (hopefully) convenient location in a city.  A CSA might be
able to efficiently deliver several shares to this one location, and at
the same time gain some valuable allies in promoting local agriculture.  I
encourage those of you who operate CSAs to foster connections with
agencies and other organizations whose employees or members might
naturally tend toward supporting CSAs.  Private and Academic organizations
might also be worth contacting.  The Center for the Biology of Natural
Systems at Queens College or other such academic groups are possibilities. 

This is not to rule out trying to make connections with more traditional
and business oriented organizations, but to focus efforts where there is
the best possibility of a ready customer.  Success in the long run will be
the slow, steady growth of local agriculture so that someday the local
countryside will provide a substantial portion of the food for a city.  It
may be a while before a CSA makes deliveries to employees at the
headquarters of Archer-Daniels-Midlands, but it*s worth working towards. 

Karl Arne