CSA Week: It’s More Than Just Vegetables

In 2021, the CSA Innovation Network, a national organization of farmers and farmer support organizations, designated the last week of February as CSA Week to promote the advancement of Community Supported Agriculture, a model of food production that fosters a direct relationship between farmers and consumers. This year marks the fourth CSA Week, running from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25. 

When someone joins a CSA at a farm, they become members. Shares are purchased well in advance of a farm’s harvest, providing farmers with crucial financial support at the beginning of each growing season. In return, members receive a weekly or bi-weekly allotment of fresh, locally grown food throughout the season. The CSA model cultivates deeper connections between farmers and consumers. 

At Sisters Hill Farm in Stanfordville, director and farmer David Hambleton started their first CSA in 1999. That year, Sisters Hill grew food on one acre of land for about 40 members. Today, it grows on five acres and produces about 100,000 pounds of food per year, serving some 400 members, the majority of which live locally.

While members of CSAs will of course receive the food produced by the farm they invest in — be it meats, dairy products, staples of lettuces, tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots or the hundreds of varieties of vegetables that grow in the Hudson Valley — there is something more they receive as well.

“There are so many intangibles,” Hambleton said. “It’s a lot more than just vegetables. It’s about community, caring for the Earth and growing food in a way that is sustainable.”

The CSA model is a form of risk sharing and financial investment in farms. For farmers, who have little to no income in the winter, sales from wholesale models and farmers’ markets can be hard to predict. The financial commitment built into the CSA model guarantees a stable source of income, allowing them to plan for the growing season, pay their farm workers, buy seeds, and build infrastructure.

Though paying for several months of food in advance can seem like a financial burden, CSA shares are usually sold below what consumers are charged at grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

“There are no shortages of ways to get involved, even if the upfront costs seem a little intimidating,” said Kate Anstreicher, program manager at the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, and facilitator of the Hudson Valley CSA Coalition. Many farms offer a self-select sliding scale, payment plans over the course of several months, or working shares, where people can volunteer on the farm in exchange for food or flowers.

“Now more than ever, people recognize the value of local food that they can track to its source,” said Sadie Willis, coordinator for the CSA Innovation Network. “CSA Week is all about connecting communities to their farmers and to the land their food comes from.”

Marking the end of winter, there has long been a CSA day at the end of February. Now, it has grown to a much larger week-long movement.

From local farms such as Rock Steady Farm in Millerton, Bear Creek Farm in Bangall, Foxtrot Farm and Flowers in Stanfordville, to Zlate Misli, some 4,000 miles away in Slovenia, participants in this year’s CSA Week span the globe.

“For us as farmers it is important to be connected to a bigger CSA community,” said Matjaž Turineck, a Slovenian farmer participating in this year’s CSA Week. “In Slovenia there are not many of us, and resources — knowledge, time, money and finance — for this kind of thing are always limited. So we are happy that the CSA Innovation Network exists and we can be a part of it, although we’re not on the same continent.”

Along with farms that grow produce, fruits and flowers, the CSA model is also adopted by livestock and dairy farmers. 

“We only started our CSA last year and a big reason was to create more stability in our farm finances and prioritize our customers,” said Sarah Chase, farmer and owner of Chaseholm Farm, in Pine Plains.

Chaseholm Farm’s CSA, called HolmGoods, is a meat and dairy CSA. They offer consumers a customizable array of locally produced food including 100% grass fed beef, pork fed with organic grain, organic yogurt, dairy and cheese products. The CSA at Chaseholm Farm is available for pickup and delivery. This year it is offering a dairy-only share for people who don’t eat meat.

“Our CSA customers are our numero uno, we prioritize them,” Chase said. “It’s about creating a relationship where people are saying they care about farms and local agriculture and they want consistent access to healthy food. Eating local means getting a fresher product, a product that is more nutrient dense, has traveled less and supports the economy and our ability to make food, which is one of the most basic things that we need.”

For a list of available CSAs near you visit the Hudson Valley CSA Coalition’s CSA Finder, or speak with your local farmer.