Community Shared Agriculture is a system of growing and distributing organic produce which restores the link between farmers and consumers.
There are now over 1000 CSA farms in North America. In early spring each year, local households purchase subscription shares of the year’s harvest from a local organic farm.
By paying for their produce at the beginning of the growing season, CSA shareholders provide the start up capital necessary for farmers to purchase seeds, supplies and soil ammendments. This eliminates the farmer’s dependence on bank loans and chemical inputs to guarantee the harvest. CSA farms happily bond farmers and those who consume their food.
The farmer gains a healthy, economically viable farm business and the consumers receive affordable, fresh, local organic produce.
A share is 14-20 items each week for 20 weeks and is enough vegetables for a household with 4 adults. A half share is 7-10 items each week for 20 weeks and is enough vegetables for a household with 2 adults. As a “shareholder” you also recieve our monthly newsletter with recipes and suggestions and invitations to our open farm day celebrations.
Produce is delivered weekly to local community “depots” in Hamilton, Burlington, Dundas, Oakville, and Toronto or you can pick it up at the farm. Written by: Melanie Golba – Plan B Organic Farm Empower yourself and support your community… get involved with a CSA near you! Text and photo provided by Plan B Organic Farm.
Environment Hamilton – Eat Local
Hamilton Eat Local was formed in 2005 by Environment Hamilton and other community partners to support programs that encourage Hamiltonians to buy food grown by local farmers and harvest food from urban gardens and other settings that would otherwise go to waste. Hamilton Eat Local aims to increase the consumption of local food in Hamilton through two major initiatives: the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map and the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project.
The Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Hamilton and Area Local Food Map, first launched in 2007, forms the cornerstone of our local food campaign. The map features over 60 locations where consumers can purchase locally grown food directly from those who produced it. The 2008 map which features even more local food sources than it did in the previous year was released last spring in conjunction with the grand opening of the Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market. Most of the 40,000 copies will be distributed at highly trafficked community institutions such as Bennet’s Apple Orchard, Carluke Orchards, the new Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market; Tourism Hamilton kiosks; all participating local farms and many other locations throughout the city. Check out our blog for the latest locations for picking up your copy of the map.