Community Supported Agriculture

WHAT IS CSA?

“The primary need is not for the farm to be supported by the community but rather for the community to support itself through farming. This is an essential of existence not of convenience.”

“One gift that CSA gives to individuals, families and culture in general is a vehicle for reestablishing a conscious connection with the rhythm of life, the rhythm of the season and the rhythm of the farm that gives rise to the food that eventually becomes the molecules and cells of our bodies. Thus joining a CSA is an act not just of an economy or ecology but also of health at its most fundamental level.”

(Excerpted from “Farms of Tomorrow Revisited” by Groh and McFadden)

A CSA can take on many individual forms as it connects farm to community, but its goals remain in general the same:

To work towards creating sustainable systems
To preserve farmland and farming values
To protect crop diversity and seed preservation
To connect local communities with a farm and food source that is aligned with the values of stewardship, seasonality and the laws of nature.
To view the farm as an organism that grows food, supports healthy systems and acts as a catalyst for a community to express their ideas and values
To educate and facilitate the connection to the earth
To help counter the current industrialization of our food supply by offering an alternative to industrial agriculture.

Many of you may not be familiar with the acronym "CSA" and what that stands for. In our own vocabulary Community Supported Agriculture is just that…a way that the community can support agriculture. There are many models for doing this and the way that we conduct our CSA is unique, the meaning however is universal. The CSA concept arose as a way of guaranteeing a farmer the sale of his/her crops, and in some cases this means sharing the bounty of a successful season or the reality of an unsuccessful season. Looking beyond the money value to the greater value of sustaining farmers and a local food system that has the potential to feed a local community. The CSA concept is seen as a proactive means of connecting community to local farms and thus helping to preserve the tradition of farming. Rather than the simple exchange of money for goods, members are encouraged to see the value of supporting local farmers and assisting in the cash flow of a farm. The paybacks are great. Firstly, you get to eat the finest, freshest foods that are in season; secondly, you and your family know where your food is grown, and how it is grown; thirdly, you and your family are giving to the community by investing in a local food system and bypassing many of the problems caused by the current industrial methods of farming.

From the beginning of our farm CSA in 1994 we have morphed into a distribution system, Outer Aisle FOODS. Our goal is to serve 500 families 50% of their food from local sustainable farmers just like us.

WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT OUTER AISLE AND SIGN UP NOW?

Enjoy local and seasonal fruits and veggies all year round.

Fresh, high quality, home-grown flavor.

Weekly summer deliveries or bi-weekly fall, winter and spring deliveries to convenient drop off locations near you.

Your choice of the size bag for your needs.

Cancel when you are out of town.

Additional items available including meat, fish, cheese, nuts, sauces, mushrooms and more.

Supplement your own garden.

Lower your carbon footprint.

Support local growers and producers.