Be sure to check Llangybi Organics news for the latest news posts and photos from Llangybi Organics and its CSA group.

Introducing CSA: growing food... and community

Latest: We have now (2010) started a CSA group based on a small number of our commited former box scheme customers who are keen to help and don't live too far away. We have no space for more people at present but it you're interested in joining, we do have a waiting list

CSA group bags: how the system works.

How CSA works

Typically family-operated, CSA farms range from 3 to 300 acres and provide food for 10 to more than 200 households. CSA farms are highly diversified, usually growing more than 40 different vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Some farms also supply meat, eggs, honey, and other products. In our case, the farm should provide you with some food for most months of the year as we make successive plantings and use our polytunnel to extend the seasons.

Volunteers and 'core group': CSA projects rely to varying degrees on member volunteers to work on the farm and help with various tasks. Many CSA farms could not survive without a "core group" of committed volunteers who help with occasional maintenance such as weeding and hoeing, and with harvesting and packing. By assuming these responsibilities, core groups enable farmers to focus on producing food and caring for the land. Group members take an agreed share of the produce as payment.

And that, in a nutshell, is it. How you and we make this group work is up to us. CSAs in Britain are a relatively new idea although they've been operating successfully in Japan (where they started) and the USA for many years. The Soil Association, our organic status licencing body, has published two useful guides to settting up and running CSAs with real examples from around Britain. We have these available and interested potential members are welcome to take a look at them.

There are many ways you can find out more about other CSAs. One of the simplest is by following the links below.

1. Soil Association, our licensing body on CSA - very useful
2. Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association: Introduction to Community Supported Farms (CSA) and Farm Supported Communities
3. Wikipedia on Community supported agriculture
4. ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas)
5. West Virginia University Extension Service: Community-supported agriculture: A direct marketing model. This gives full details of how 'shares' work.