Have you had one too many tasteless tomatoes? Had it with
heads of lettuce that are limp the day after you buy them? There
is a way to bring fresh produce to your door.

It’s called Community Supported Agriculture.

Essentially, shareholders (consumers) pay for food before it’s
planted to help offset farmers’ production costs. Then the
farmers provide the shareholders fresh, and most often
organically grown, produce all season.

Community Supported Agriculture began to take hold in the
United States in the 1980s. Now there are more than 1,000 CSA
farms across the county.

“The CSA concept has a greater likelihood for success in an
urban area because of the population,” said Mark Risse, an
agricultural engineer with the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “But it’s not a
necessity.”

In Georgia, CSAs are close to major cities.

“A CSA in northern Florida grows for the local school district
in a semirural area,” Risse said. “Anywhere will work as long as
there is a population base with a demand for locally grown
produce.”

Atlanta now has two seasonal organic farmers’ markets and a
booming direct restaurant supply business.

“Many of the chefs in quality restaurants demand high-quality,
fresh produce,” Risse said. “And these farmers contract to supply
it.”

To tap into the growing demand for fresh food alternatives,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture
Network put together a list of CSA farms nationwide. The list has
names and contact information for 450 CSA farms in almost every
state.

“Given the growing interest in eating nutritious fresh food,
we wanted to provide an easy source of information about CSA,”
said Jill Auburn, director of USDA Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education program, which funds SAN.

Georgia CSAs on the list are Gaia Gardens in Decatur and the
Union Agricultural Institute in Blairsville.

“CSA provides a great way for the producers and consumers of
our food to gain all sorts of benefits, from fair wages to fresh
food to on-farm learning experiences, because they live near each
other,” Auburn said.

The CSA concept tends to unite people to support a farm. The
farm truly becomes a community enterprise. The grower and members
share both the risks and the benefits of food production.

Getting and keeping shareholders is one of the toughest
hurdles a CSA faces.

“There is a lot of work in developing the CSA and then in
maintaining the market once it’s created,” Risse said. “Once this
is done, usually demand will exceed the CSA’s ability to supply,
as is happening in Atlanta. Organizations like Georgia Organics
can help in setting up a CSA or co-op.”

So can the Georgia Extension Service. “The Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program, housed on the UGA
Griffin campus, has producer grants that could help establish
CSAs,” Risse said. Get more information at
www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare/00mktann.html.

Typically, CSA farmers use organic or sustainable farming
methods and strive to provide fresh, high-quality foods. Most CSA
farms offer diverse vegetables, fruits and herbs in season. Some
provide a full array of farm products, including eggs, meat,
milk, baked goods, honey and even firewood. Many CSA farmers
enjoy the chance to teach others about the challenges of growing
good food.

To see the complete CSA list, visit the web site at
www.sare.org/san/csa/index.htm. There you can search for CSAs by
state.

Get a list of CSA farms in any state, too, by writing to
CSA/CSREES, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Stop 2207, Washington, DC
20250-2207. Organizations can request a free copy of the printed
CSA directory at the same address.