Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.
I spent the weekend thinking about what motivates people to join CSAs. 'Tis the
sign-up season, after all, and tens of thousands of you are coming to
LocalHarvest to look for a CSA farm near you. Researchers say that most people
joining a CSA anticipate that their dinner menus will change as a result, and
they are up for the challenge. "Veggies we've never heard of? Bring them on!"
This is brave. There are few things as personal as our habitual eating
patterns, and to consciously turn over some portion of the control for what
you'll cook night after night for a some months is a big deal.
Often it goes swimmingly. I can not tell you how many times I have heard people
compare opening their weekly CSA box to Christmas morning. Whether it's the
freshness and flavor of the food, the feeling of belonging to a farm, the
knowledge that their children are eating better, the satisfaction of eating
locally, or all of the above, many people simply love being part of a CSA.
And it's not for everyone. Many CSAs lose 10-40% of their members at year's
end. For some members the necessary culinary creativity becomes a burden
instead of a joy. Others find they don't actually cook as much as they thought,
or hoped to. Still others get a bad case of greens fatigue. For all of us
interested in seeing the CSA movement thrive, it is as important to pay
attention to the rationale of people who decide not to re-join a CSA as it is
to take in the praise of the enthusiasts.
If CSAs are to keep up their impressive growth trajectory, farms will need to
attract more and more "mainstream eaters". That, in turn, requires CSA farmers
and CSA members to work together to find the right balance of unfamiliar items
and old standbys, the right quantity of food so members don't waste, and where
feasible, giving members some level of choice.
We would love to hear about your experiences with CSA. If you've been a CSA member for
years, what do you like best about it? If you tried CSA but decided not to join
again, what was your reason? For both groups, what do you wish you'd have known
about CSA before you joined? If you'd like to share your thoughts,
please do so here.
We saw a great little video this month called, "Community Supported
Agriculture: What to expect when you join a farm." I highly recommend it for
all who are considering joining a CSA for the first time. Great advice,
straight from CSA farmers themselves!
As always, take good care and eat well,
Erin
Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest
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