Growing Food, Growing Community, Community Supported Agriculture In Rural Iowa

1. Growing Food, Growing Community, Community Supported Agriculture In Rural Iowa Betty L. Wells and Rhonda Yoder

2. What is CSA? • A direct partnership between a farmer & consumers to share the bounty & risk of production • The consumer pays for shares upfront & receives a weekly share of the harvest • Members know where their food comes from & how it is grown, giving them a connection to the land & the farmer

3. The First CSA • In the 1960s, Japanese women, concerned with increased food imports, food prices, and loss of family farms asked local farmers to grow fruits & vegetables directly for them • Farmers agreed on condition that families commit to supporting the farmers • “teikei” means partnership, or food with a farmer’s face

4. Diversity of CSAs • Some CSAs offer shareholders an opportunity to work in exchange for a cost reduction (some require their members to work) • Some maintain central distribution sites, others require members to pick up their food at the farm (transportation is one of the biggest problems)

5. As an Alternative • CSAs are thriving on the edges of the global food system. • There are over 1000 CSAs in the U.S. & Canada • 100,000 households are members

6. Iowa • This article looks at the growth of Community Supported Agriculture in Iowa • By 1996 there were 40 CSA farms in Iowa. • In the past rural communities and family farms were synonymous

7. With the globalization of Agriculture & the farm crisis, Iowa has become a net importer of food. • So, CSA is a way to reduce hidden costs & to strengthen ties to between farmers and non-farmers. • In conventional agriculture, food travels 1000-2000 miles; with CSA a maximum of 200 miles—cconsumes less energy • CSAs reduce waste by minimizing packaging • CSAs maintain biodiversity & local ecological knowledge • CSAs externalize environmental benefits • Food dollars circulate locally

8. Values • Farmers involved in CSA production need to make enough money to continue production, but they also stressed other motives: • Many producers wanted to build friendships with customers and educate people about food and farming, and pass on practical knowledge between generations.

9. Growers take pride in growing a diverse variety of crops, and providing alternative land use. • More than half of CSA producers are women, who often started a CSA as a way to generate income and stay on the farm. • They believe that they can change the economic situation in Iowa via “Cooperation with nature and cooperation with people.”

10. Iowa Examples • Field to Family Community Food Project. works for local, sustainable, and equitable food systems. • It also gives local foods vouchers for use at farmers markets.

11. Summary • Integrating the CSA into daily family and food rhythms creates family and community ties and counters the global system of competition, homogenization, and standardization. • The CSA is a sensible alternative to the industrial food system.