Community Supported Agriculture

Without a doubt, we’re a population accustomed to eating what we want, when we want it. Whether its oranges at Christmas, bananas for school lunches or mangoes for a Thai salad, when it comes to produce, everything is available all the time – whether the quality or the ethics are there or not.

But what do we really know about the fruit and veg we buy from our local grocers? Some shoppers make an effort to glance at what country their food comes from, others haven’t a clue. But we don’t know who farms it, how it’s been grown, what it’s been sprayed with, or how it’s traveled to us. We live in a cloud of blissful – but somewhat scary – ignorance.

Happily, though, the movement toward eating FLOSS-style, as some have called it (an acronym for fresh, local, organic, sustainable and seasonal), is growing leaps and bounds. Not only are people in our region now more interested in eating organically, but also in sourcing out foods that are locally grown. Many of us, it seems, are developing an interest in knowing who grows our food – and how. Some are taking it a step further by developing relationships with their food growers.

Sure, we can do that by way of our Saturday morning trip to the farmer’s market. Another option, though is through a CSA, or community shared agriculture program. This allows everyday eaters to buy shares in a local farm and share in the harvest. Full shares in a farm typically go for around $500 to $600; that much produce will typically feed a family of four to six. For couples or smaller families, there are often half-shares available, which usually run from $250 to $300. For your money, you’ll get a weekly box of seasonal farm produce from early June right through to late fall.

Some CSA farmers will pack your produce boxes for you and deliver them to your door or to one of several drop-off points around the region. Others have you come up to the farm to pick up, or, in some cases, to choose your own fruits and vegetables. Because the programs are independently operated, often on family farms, each runs a little differently from the next.

There are risks involved, yes – you, like the farmer, are at the whim of Mother Nature. If she wreaks havoc with a hailstorm, for example, you might notice it in your weekly food box. But isn’t that the way it should be?

Christine Aberle and her husband Stephen, of Aberle Farms near Elmira, are in their ninth year of running a CSA program. Christine says the connection between the consumer and the farmer is what motivates them. A CSA customer with Aberle will get a monthly newsletter with recipes, information about how things are growing, and an invite to a harvest party at the farm in September. As a shareholder, they’re also welcome to come up and tour the gardens anytime.

“The biggest thing is that it’s that direct connection to the customer and, for the customer, that direct connection to the farm,” says Christine. “Knowing where the food is grown and who grows it is important.” Furthermore, she says, “It’s fresh, and you’re supporting a local business.”

Stuart Horst, of Woolwich CSA (near Floradale), says he thinks CSAs help to reconnect the urban community with the farming community. Buying a share not only has you eating well for many months of the year, he says, “it’s an investment to support local agriculture.”

Now for the bad news – many of the farms offering CSA programs in the region are full – which, while disappointing to those of us that aren’t on the ball, is a great testament to the growing ranks of the locavore in Waterloo region. A couple are still selling shares, though, and those that aren’t will often take names for next year.

A good place to start is Foodlink, which lists Waterloo Region's CSAs. Also check out http://www.localorganic.ca/.

With some luck and more demand, these programs will continue to grow – and we’ll all be a little more educated about what we eat.
-30-