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Community Shared Agriculture

Young Dougall Pekin with his mates on a recent farm tour to Mal & Helen Smith's farm

Young Dougall Pekin with his mates on a recent farm tour to Mal & Helen Smith's farm up on top of the Queen Mary Falls near Killarney

So what is Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) and why is it important?

  • It is an innovation in the growing and distributing of food that has emerged in the past few decades.
  • It seeks to address the problems (environmental, social and cultural) associated with industrial agriculture.
  • CSAs are about participating in a shared commitment to local and regional food systems that provide fair financial returns to small family farms, which in turn helps the farmers to look after their land.
  • People who get their fresh food from a CSA operation typically eat with the seasons and eat a wide variety of foods.
  • City people involved in CSAs usually have a greater connection with the land and the people who grow their food.
  • Farmers generally grow food for the ‘faceless masses’. CSA farmers, on the other hand, often have a greater familiarity with the people eating their food. They really appreciate this connection.
  • Click here to read about the Food Connect approach to CSA.