by Caroline Taylor and Kristina Bostick
CSAs provide an opportunity for folks to share in the process of bringing a farm product , whether it ’ s flowers , herbs , veggies , or livestock from seed to table . When you join a CSA and commit your dollars to a local farm , you are entering into a relationship with the growers , and building a meaningful connection with where those things come from .
Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA ) sign-up time is upon us now , hoop houses across Maryland are full of tender young plants just waiting to be
- caitlin robinson , sungold flower company
Common Root Farm
Community Supported Agriculture ’ s Brilliant Connection
sown in the field . Joining a CSA is buying a stake in a farm ’ s harvest in advance of the growing season . Each week throughout the season , you pick up ( or are delivered ) a box of whatever is ready for harvest .
Why do some farmers rely on the CSA model for their farm businesses ? Caitlin of Sungold Flower Co . shares that it “ allows us to focus on marketing and selling during a time of year when outdoor tasks are minimal , which means that we can focus on nurturing and harvesting the best possible product during the actual growing season . The money paid by CSA subscribers allows us to invest in supplies and stock ( seeds , bulbs , corms , etc .) in the “ off ” season when those orders are being placed . And perhaps most exciting of all , CSA programs provide an opportunity for folks to feel a part of local agriculture .”
Common Root Farm CSA in Derwood supplies local tables with nutritious produce , including to those in need through Manna ’ s Farm to Foodbank Program . The farm ’ s owner , Ryan Kalivretenos , gives important broader context to the mission of CSA farms : “ We can begin to make conscious decisions to consume and support the food , information , and industries that best serve our bodies , our minds , our spirits , and humanity as a whole . I believe the best place to start is our diet and that our optimal diet consists of locallyproduced whole foods raised in harmony with nature .”
While the CSA model strives to lessen the impacts of the various challenges of bringing farm products to market , many challenges remain . Ag Business , writes Emma Jackson of the newly launched Cut Clover Flowers , “ is tricky , purely because so many factors are out of our control . Deer can mow down a
plenty I spring sowing 2022 21