What’s a CSA?

Money spent locally tends to stay in the area longer and provides local jobs. Financially stable farms provide the “rural agricultural character” that makes New England the vacation destination for millions of Americans providing even more jobs not to mention an environment which lends itself to a more connected community.

Small farmers tend to stay away from monoculture (the production of a single crop for export), the farming practice that is most damaging to the ecology of an area and the health of its economy and people. Monoculture farming produces vast quantities of a single crop but unfortunately also brings along with it vast quantities of pesticide immunities which have brought on the necessity of GMOs.

GMOs are pest resistant strains of plants, however the vast majority of these plants are patent-protected food crops, nearly all of which, are owned by one company, Monsanto, a fact full  of problematic scenarios. One of which is the limitations of modern science to fully comprehend all of the potential negative ramifications of genetic manipulation.

With the recent state of recalls on meat and vegetables from our store shelves, the question of food safety is foremost in most consumers minds. Over the last 20 years, CSA has become a popular way for consumers to buy local seasonal food directly from a farmer.

There are no unknown middlemen. By paying for your produce upfront in the winter and springtime, you become “member” or “shareholder” of The 1780 farm’s yearly harvest. Each week during the growing season, you receive a portion of your share.

The 1780 Farm  offers a certain number of “shares” to you, the public. Typically a full share consists of a ¾ bushel of seasonal produce each week, (and a U-pick Blueberry opportunity twice a month as the berries come available) throughout the farming season, typically from the second week in June through the end of October (depending on mother nature). We will also have pork and chicken shares available. This arrangement creates several rewards for both the The 1780 Farm and you, the consumer.

• We Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before our 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s cash flow
• We Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food we grow

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking (Jeanny will usually include recipes)
• Usually get to visit the farm and keep an eye on what we are doing
• Will find that your children typically favor food from “their” farm – even veggies they’ve never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S. The number is growing with leaps and bounds.

As we mentioned above CSAs aren’t confined to produce. Some farmers, including The 1780 Farm, include the option for shareholders to buy shares of eggs, homemade bread, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers or other farm products along with veggies. This year we will be offering a pork and chicken shares, along with u-pick blueberries. Next year we will be offering beef and cheese.

There is an important concept woven into the CSA model that takes the arrangement beyond the usual commercial transaction. That is the notion of shared risk. When originally conceived, the CSA was set up differently than it is now. A group of people pooled their money, bought a farm, hired a farmer, and each took a share of whatever the farm produced for the year. If the farm had a tomato bonanza, everyone put some up for winter. If a plague of locusts ate all the greens, people ate cheese sandwiches.

Very few such CSAs exist today, and for most farmers, the CSA is just one of the ways  produce is marketed. We may (depending on harvest) also go to the farmers market in Keene, do some wholesale off the back of the truck, sell to restaurants, etc. Still, the idea that “we’re in this together” remains. On some farms it is stronger than others, and CSA members may be asked to sign a policy form indicating that they agree to accept without complaint whatever the farm can produce. Here at The 1780 Farm  it is an unspoken agreement between you and us because the idea of shared risk is part of what creates a sense of community among members, and between our members and the farm.

If a hailstorm takes out all the peppers, we are all disappointed together, and together we’ll cheer on the winter squash and broccoli. We feel a great sense of responsibility to our members, and when certain crops are scarce we will make sure you get served first. Still, it is worth noting that very occasionally things can go wrong on a farm – like they do in any kind of business – and the expected is not delivered, and you may feel shortchanged.

Every year we hear complaints about a few CSA farms (two to six farms a year, over the last nine years) where something happened and the produce was simply unacceptable. It might have been a catastrophic divorce, or an unexpected death in the family. Or the weather was abominable, or the farmer was inexperienced and got in over his/her head.

In our experience, if the situation seems regrettable but reasonable – a bad thing that in good faith could have happened to anyone – most CSA members will rally, if they already know and trust the farmer. These people are more likely to take the long view, especially if you have received an abundance of produce in the past. They are naturally more likely to think, “It’ll be better next year,” than are new members who have nothing to which to compare a dismal experience. The take-home message is this: if the potential for “not getting your money’s worth” makes you feel anxious, then shared risk may not be for you and you should shop at the farmers market. We won’t have our feeling hurt.