Farmers’ Market: Community Supported Agriculture

    Farms around the state have created Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) systems that work for them. In essence, a CSA grants members of a community the opportunity to purchase a share or shares from a farm at a set price. The CSA share-owner receives fresh, healthful fruits, vegetables, meats, or other products from the farm as those items are harvested; the farmer has a known market for his or her products.     Commonly, a share generates a weekly box or bag of whatever is in season on the farm, selected by the farmer, and based on crop availability and markets. They may be harvested and packaged by the farm crew, picked by the CSA members, or supplied by a combination of mechanical harvesting and pick-your-own.
    The shares purchased in the spring make cash available for feed, seed, fertilizer, supplies, etc. On a conventionally managed farm, these expenses are normally “out-go” months ahead of an anticipated harvest sold for “in-come,” at least in the cases of produce and livestock production. The farmer, by selling shares, has a known, secure income from which he or she can budget operating costs. It is a win:win situation!
    Members of CSA’s also report a satisfaction associated with the relationship they share on “their farm.” CSA partnerships often mean crops are planted that are popular with all of the members. Successful crops result in happy CSA customers, of course (though in some cases, they may need a crash course in food preservation to be able to keep up with a bounty of cabbage and rutabega, for example). However, even when weather, insects, accidents, and the wrath of Khan collaborate to make farming something of a challenge, members are reminded of the risks farmers take every year when the snow goes and the crop goes in … little to market in the fall can mean little to eat through the winter or truncated plans for the following spring without shared pain among all the CSA partners.
    The Presque Isle Farmers Market membership includes a CSA, though it operates a little differently. Next week, this column will discuss the system in place at the Stokdijk Farm in New Sweden and other plan-ahead strategies offered by Farmers Market members to community members. Meanwhile, fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and other good things to eat are available every Saturday morning in the Aroostook Centre Mall parking lot.
    Editor’s note: This weekly column is written by members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market. For more information or to join, contact their secretary/treasurer Steve Miller of Westmanland at 896-5860 or via e-mail at beetree@xpressamerica.net