Defining CSA Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between the consumer and the farmer. It is a mutual commitment; the farm feeds the people, and the people support the farm and share in the risks and bounty of the season. The goal of CSA is to reconnect people with the environment that sustains them. It is our belief that it makes more sense to grow food for your local community than for distant markets, cities, and corporations. Participating in a CSA leads to a greater awareness of our interdependence on one another and the land. It is a return to community.

Our CSA

At New Roots we have created a CSA that supports between 25-30 families every year. These families contribute $500 dollars to the farm to cover the cost of seeds, tools, labor and other expenses. They then come to the farm every Tuesday or Friday evening to pick up their share of the harvest. The season runs mid-May through the end of October. This is a total of 25 weeks of fresh produce harvested that day. Each week we strive to have 10-15 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs available. This includes a full range of vegetables (onions, broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, etc), some fruit (strawberries, watermelons, cantaloupe, cherries, apricots) and a wide range of fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, chives, thyme, cilantro…) Shareholders are responsible for picking up their produce between 4-7pm, finding someone to come in their place, or notifying us if they will not be picking up. Our goal is to supply all the produce necessary for a family of 2-4 during the growing season. We usually supply recipes and information that promote local, seasonal diets. We try and have a weekly newsletter and monthly to quarterly pot-luck dinners and volunteer days. We encourage involvement of our shareholders on the farm.

Neighborhood children and school groups get an education on local food by participating in our youth program on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is these busy little farm apprentices that harvest, wash, and prepare the vegetables that our shareholders enjoy every week!

Because our mission focuses on food security and urban sustainability, we are only accepting new shareholders that live within the St. Louis city limits. This is not meant to be exclusionary but rather to encourage local food initiatives among local communities. We hope we can be a model to those hoping to start similar projects in their community and we look forward to the day when every neighborhood has their own farm and local food system.

Click here for a listing of CSA’s throughout the country and for more general information on the Community Supported Agriculture movement.

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What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local growing season. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and enables many small-to moderate-scale organic family farms to remain in business. Ultimately, CSA creates "agriculture-supported communities" where members receive a wide variety of foods harvested at their peak of ripeness, flavor and vitamin and mineral content.

As Wendell Berry identifies, "how we eat determines to a considerable extent how the world is used." With this in mind, it is important to remember that the goals of a CSA support a sustainable agriculture system that:

• provides farmers with direct outlets for farm products and ensures fair compensation
• encourages proper land stewardship by supporting farmers in transition toward low or no chemical inputs
• strengthens local economies by keeping food dollars in local communities
• directly links producers with consumers allowing people to have a personal connection with their food and the land on which it was produced
• makes nutritious, affordable, wholesome foods accessible and widely available to community members.
  There are many kinds of CSA. All include payment in advance at an agreed upon price. Sometimes members of the community purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest. Sometimes members sign up for a predetermined amount of produce over the course of the season. In most cases, this commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer both the bounty from the land and at least some of the risks involved with production.
  
  In return for fair and guaranteed compensation, consumers receive a variety of freshly picked, (usually organic) vegetables grown and distributed in an economically viable and ecologically responsible manner. Some farms also offer fruit, herbs, flowers and other products. In this way, farmers and members become partners in the production, distribution and consumption of locally grown food. Organic food produced locally is not the same as organic food transported over long distances. When community members obtain food from local farmers, environmental costs associated with the transport, processing and distribution of organic food and the consumption of fossil fuels are significantly reduced.
  
  Click here for a brief history of the CSA movement.