It’s time to celebrate Community Supported Agriculture during CSA week taking place February 19th – 25th this year. CSA week is a chance to learn more about enjoying a healthier lifestyle and connecting with your local farm in your community. In this article we will highlight the many benefits of CSA and how you can join in the celebration.

What does Community Supported Agriculture mean? Community Supported Agriculture is a program where a consumer commits to a “farm share” in advance of the season. The consumer then becomes a member of the farm program and receives weekly boxes of the freshest produce in season. The member benefits from weekly fresh produce and from being part of a farm which includes eating locally grown food, reducing carbon footprint and eating in season. The farmer is assisted by having a commitment in advance and is able to purchase the seed and prepare for the items needed before the growing season. This creates a symbiotic relationship whereas the farmer grows nourishing food for members while the members are introduced to the freshest picked produce in season. 

 

Origins of CSA

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way of connecting families to farmers and increasing local food accessibility. Alstede Farms celebrates the heroes of Agriculture during Black History Month, a time to remember and honor those important people and events in history. Dr. Booker T. Whatley was a  pioneer of sustainable agriculture and the innovator of The Clientele Membership Club. Dr. Booker T. Whatley was an African American horticulturist in the American South in the 70’s and an agricultural professor at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Dr. Whatley was a strong supporter of regenerative agriculture and a pioneer of inventive solutions for farmers with limited resources. Dr. Whatley created “clientele membership clubs” which can be seen as the beginning of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model. This model empowers the farmer to seek the support of the local community to purchase a share of the farm, thereby assisting the farm efforts all year long, rather than generating income just at harvest time. You can read more about Dr. Whatley and his contributions to roots of a healthy lifestyle on our blog. 

 

Living Locally 

Being part of a CSA share also offers inspiration to eat locally and in season as there is a lifecycle to growing food. The lifecycle consists of spring, summer and fall in this region and affords a variety of new produce with the changing of each month. Spring brings us peas, garlic scapes, asparagus, rhubarb and early greens to enjoy. Summer introduces more fruits including peaches, tomatoes, melons, corn and summer squashes. Fall brings pumpkins, squashes, apples, beets, and other cole crops. The changing of the seasons provides something new and exciting each week and folks are more apt to eat more veggies if experiencing them locally, fresh from the farm at their peak of ripeness. Eating in season is part of a healthy lifestyle as is consuming more whole and natural foods, cooking together, and preparing meals at home. A CSA has been known to enhance knowledge of produce and increase confidence so that you will want to incorporate them everyday which leads to healthier daily habits. Learn to eat more fruits and vegetables on our blog. 

 

Eating in Season

We on the farm have always believed in the practice of eating in season for its numerous benefits including; a healthier lifestyle, reducing your carbon footprint and because we’re farmers and live closely to, and are in touch with the land.

An eating in season lifestyle enhances your body with foods and nutrition required to thrive in that season, affords better taste & flavor from consuming locally grown food that has been picked ripe in the fields, reduces your carbon footprint as foods are consumed locally where they are grown and not transported great distances, all while providing more harmonious living with nature. 

 

Be Freshly Inspired 

We offer our Freshly Inspired CSA in a variety of options to suit a range of lifestyles including a full 31 week season, a shortened 20 week season, a ten week season and a 4 week share to enjoy around the holidays. There are also three size boxes to ensure you enjoy just the right amount of farm fresh products for your family. 

Our CSA is fully customizable meaning that you can choose what you would like in your weekly box from a variety of items in season. You can also add on eggs, dairy, meats and other products making it convenient for you to eat farm fresh. Being part of our CSA means you receive free access to pick your own admission, free admission to one of our Sunset with Sunflowers events, free admission to a members only day on the farm, and free admission to one of our Harvest Moon Hayride events. We would love for you to be part of our farm family. Learn more about it here.