Community Supported Agriculture in your community: making it work (From Smallholder)

Community Supported Agriculture in your community: making it work

8:20am Tuesday 5th October 2010 in News

This autumn, the Soil Association is running a series of free training opportunities at Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, to introduce people to CSA’s by providing them with the information and inspiration needed to set one up in their own community.

Some of these events are taking place at two well-established and highly successful CSAs; Stroud Community Agriculture, which provides weekly produce for 200 local families, and Canalside Community Food – which produces for 125 families.

The events are designed to cover every aspect of CSA – giving consumers, producers and community groups the chance to explore the opportunities that CSA projects offer them.

Some training opportunities being offered are aimed at those growing for CSAs and in need of guidance on scaling up production from their experience of maybe growing veg for their families to growing for a community; while others are planned for consumers and farmers keen to link up in order to set up organic buying groups.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of where their food comes from and the impact their food choices have on the environment, communities, animal welfare, and their health. More and more are seeking an alternative food culture that reconnects them with the land.

There are over 50 CSAs operating in the UK now and an increasing number of organic buying groups, providing fresh, quality produce, including vegetables, fruit, cheese, milk, meat, eggs, bread and honey. By getting together in a group from your work place, neighbourhood, club or school etc people can buy in bulk directly from farmers and receive fresh organic produce at a lower price, whilst farmers receive a secure market and fairer income. Many CSAs also enable and encourage people to get involved on the farm.

For more information and to book a free place, visit the website: http://www.soilassociation.org/Takeaction/Getinvolvedlocally/Communitysupportedagriculture