Community-Supported Agriculture
As a result of all this research on food injustice, I've learned about Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA), which is, according to www.localharvest.org, "a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce." Consumers become 'shareholders' of sorts with local farmers, receiving a basket of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and other farm goods on a weekly basis, usually for a set fee. Seasons typically run from late spring (April or May) through late fall (October or November), providing consumers with a good 5-6 months of fresh, local food.
It's not a new idea, but I think it's a great one. CSA farms in Maryland charge around $400-500 for the season, which runs anywhere from 16-25 weeks, depending on the farm. It works out to be around $17-22/week, which is a bit on the expensive side, at least for a single person like me (despite my ravenous appetite for cooking!), but it supports local farmers and much of it is organic. I like it.
The website linked above lets you search by zip code to find the nearest farm. All the farms I've seen in Maryland seem to have a limited number of spots available (makes sense), so check it out soon!
1 comment:
No question US consumption is out of control. And corporations have enough influence over the political system that they appear to rule the land - not "we the people".
But certainly global trade is responsible for some amount of wealth distribution. According to Diamond, the average westerner consumes 32X the other 4.4 billion people in the world. How much does the purchase of a computer for example "reinvest" in other parts of the world?
There must be a way to begin to work towards a balance; towards a more just global system. Maybe buying fair trade goods is a start. Perhaps fair trade certification could be extended to other products.
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