The CSA Innovation Network, a national network for local CSA farms, has announced CSA Week, taking place Feb. 20-26, to promote Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), is a farm membership system that allows consumers to sign up to receive a season’s worth of a farm’s products (veggies, eggs, meat, flowers, grain, etc.) over a number of weeks.
Along with getting to enjoy fresh, delicious and local food, being a CSA member is an excellent way to support and get to know your local farmers. During this special week, farmers, farmer support organizations, and CSA enthusiasts across the country will be working together to raise awareness of CSA and promote CSA signups.
Join in promoting CSA Week as it celebrate its relationship with local agriculture and lift up local CSA farmers who work hard to produce the season’s best food. Historically, this event has been called CSA Day and it was started by Simon Huntley and Small Farm Central years ago. Beginning in 2021, the CSA Innovation Network extended it to last an entire week so that more people hear about the event and have the ability to connect with their local CSA farms during this time.
“Now more than ever, people recognize the value of local food that they can track to its source. CSA Week is all about connecting communities to their farmers and to the land their food comes from,” said Sadie Willis, coordinator of the CSA Innovation Network.
The CSA Innovation Network is providing a free packet of digital tools to help farmers promote their CSA during this special week, which is available to people who sign up for CSA Week on the network’s website. The CSA Week Participant map, also located on the Network’s website, will provide a visual of all the participating farmers and farm support organizations across the country.
You can play an important role in CSA Week by highlighting your local CSA farmers and spreading the word that this is the most popular time to sign up for a CSA share. Folks won’t want to wait long to sign up, as shares sell out quite quickly. CSA is more than food — it’s about directly impacting your local food system and bridging community relationships.
There are several farms that offer CSA memberships in the Highland County area. Here is a short list:
* A Bounty of Eden, (a PMA with herd shares) www.farmmatch.com/abountyofeden
* Circle Garden Farm, www.circlegardenfarm.com
* Fruitdale Farm, https://www.fruitdalefarm.com/online-ordering.
* FARM SHOP | fruitdale-farm. Order fresh produce and other goodies for pick-up at our farm — www.fruitdalefarm.com
* Grass Powered Poultry and Meat, www.grasspoweredpoultry.com
For more information, visit Local Harvest, https://www.localharvest.org/csa/
Submitted by Marilyn Hiestand, ECOT.
