June
2001
Community
Supported Agriculture in New York City
Creating an Alternative Food System
By Shana Berger
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Just Food, a New York City nonprofit, is one of
a handful of organizations in the country coordinating a Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program. CSAs make it easy for city residents to get
affordable, fresh organic fruits and vegetables and support struggling
regional farms at the same time. CSAs have typically catered to wealthier
clientele but for the past three years, Just Food has focused on bringing
them to low-income communities. The CSA concept was developed in Japan
in 1965 by a group of women who were concerned with the rising use of
pesticides and processed imported foods, and the decrease in the farming
population. This idea, of a cooperative relationship between farmers
and consumers, was introduced to the U.S. in 1985. There are now over
1000 CSA farms across the country.
Just Food’s CSA program was developed to address two problems:
the loss of small family farms and the lack of access to fresh produce
in low-income neighborhoods in NYC. Since its inception in 1995, Just
Food has helped 12 upstate farms and 19 New York City community groups
create solid partnerships, bringing fresh fruits and vegetables directly
from the farm to over 4,000 New Yorkers.
Over the past few decades our food system has become increasingly globalized.
Policies and subsidies favor multi-national corporations over small
businesses, without regard for product quality and production processes.
Small farms are thus at a competitive disadvantage and are struggling
to survive. From 1980 to 1995, 150,000 acres of farmland and 1,000
farms
were lost every year (that’s 20 farms each week) in NY State alone.
In 1910, 35 percent of the U.S. population was in farming and today
fewer than one percent of the population farms. At the same time, the
acreage in agricultural production has increased which means that a
small number of more powerful people have control over our food system.
Government policies that have promoted a “get big or get out”
approach to farming, rising land costs, development pressures, difficulties
in finding markets, and concentration in ownership, have forced many
small farms out of business. This means that consumers have fewer choices
in the marketplace. It becomes more difficult to find a wide range of
apple varieties or grains, for example. Or it becomes more difficult
to find soy or corn that is not genetically engineered. However, during
the last five years, more small vegetable farms have started up in NY
state, partly due to an increase in direct marketing outlets like CSAs
and farmers’ markets.
Just Food and CSA in NYC
Throughout the winter and spring, the CSA farmer
sells advance “shares” in her/his upcoming harvest to individuals,
families and institutions. During the harvest months, the farmer delivers
field-ripened vegetables once a week to a central neighborhood distribution
site in NYC–usually a community center or church–where the
CSA members can pick up their share of the produce. Typically, each
week’s share consist of seven to ten types of vegetables. Over
the course of a season, members get at least 40 different vegetable
varieties. Many CSA groups offer prices based on a sliding scale, accept
food stamps, and offer individual payment plans and work shares.
Through CSA, farmers are guaranteed a market and receive season-long
support, helping to keep them in business as well as providing them
with a living wage. They receive payment during the off-season when
it’s most needed for purchasing seeds, equipment and making farm
improvements. CSA farmers rejuvenate local economies by providing on-farm
employment, supporting additional farm-related businesses, and creating
potential small-scale processing, trucking and other jobs. Finally,
through CSA, farmers and consumers get to know each other.
Approximately 75 cents of every $1.00 consumers spend on food in a supermarket
actually covers the costs of advertising, processing, packaging, storage
and long-distance transportation. With CSA, on the other hand, there
are no middle people, so members’ money is spent on the food itself
and supports local farmers. In addition, members have the peace of mind
that comes from knowing and trusting the people who grow their food–plus,
the food is terrifically fresh and affordable.
Shana Berger is the Program Coordinator of CSA in NYC.
For more information about CSAs in NYC, call Just Food at 212-645-9880
and for a directory by state, contact the Robyn Van En Center at www.csacenter.org.
