What is Community Shared Agriculture?

Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is a system of growing and distributing food in a way that connects farmers and those who consume their food.

CSA Members pay for a "share" of a farm's seasonal produce before the growing season begins. Members or "shareholders" then receive a weekly quantity of fresh, in-season produce.

In a well-functioning CSA, with Mother Nature's co-operation, shareholders can expect to receive more than their share's worth of healthy and fresh produce throughout the growing season.

The Benefits of Community Shared Agriculture

Benefits for CSA Members:

• Taste! CSA Members enjoy the tasty benefits of freshly picked, in-season vegetables. There is no substitute for freshness!
  
  
• Put a face on your food! Knowing who grew your food and how it was grown takes eating vegetables to a whole new level
  
  
• Discover new flavours! Some of the vegetables you receive may be new to you. Being involved with a CSA will expose you to new things as well as new ways of cooking familiar vegetables.

Benefits for the Community:

• Support for the local economy: By purchasing a CSA share, you are committing your food dollars to our local agriculture sector.
  
  
• Support for local farms: It is tough for local small farmers to compete with the convenience of a supermarket. By joining a CSA you can help to reverse this trend.
  
  
• Reduced 'food miles': The average ingredient on North America's dinner plate has traveled 1500 miles. By purchasing a CSA share, you will be reducing the impacts of 'food miles', such as greenhouse gas emissions.