The CSA Media Hype… Think Localer…
Written by Monkeyfister on July 11, 2008 – 8:51 pm -YES! CSAs are a wonderful and necessary step toward a more sustainable way of life that we all must embrace. Yes! But, they are getting shoehorned into a model, and getting suddenly and sorely pressured.
There are just not enough of them of scale (Centennial Farm sized) right now, and all the media push toward them is going to hurt the whole excellent idea by overwhelming it.
This will be corporatized soon, I fear. I see “Whole Foods Own Exclusive CSA Produce Bundles– Variety Priced Right!” CSA.com bubble here we come, so it is good to bring the CSA radius closest to home. I hate to sound like the Concern Troll, but, the push is pretty severe, especially right now.
PSSSSST!!! I’ve got a hot little secret for you– CSA is short for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and dig this– you can do it on a neighborhood level.Someone on the block has the full sun to grow great tomatoes, one of you have a tree sorta shading the yard, but can grow lots of lettuces and radishes and carrots, One of you like growing Cucurbits or peppers or herbs… or raising chickens… rabbits… pigeons… bees… help each other expand the gardens, recycle poop and leaves and grass into compost, let the neighbor’s chickens tractor through your backyard garden for a few weeks post frost, etc., this way, you can buy/sell/trade amongst each other. This would be especially cool to get going in apartments with balconies, porches and urban courtyard neighborhoods. Heck– five to ten families in a Brooklyn neighborhood could nearly sustain themselves this way, save for grains and sugar and specialty spices. Someone with a big ol’ oak tree could easily inoculate the drip line and root areas with a host of excellent edible culinary mushrooms, and sell/barter them as they sprout up. Inoculate a stack of hardwood logs with shitakke mushroom spores. You get the picture. Every yard and space can grow SOMETHING. Get to know your neighbors. I bet they have some garden surplus or skill that they are dying to share.
It’s easier and localer*.
I think that we can all agree that those Covenants are pretty-well over now. It’s time to help each other live.
*–yep, localer.
Posted in Current Events, Economy, Farming and Homesteading, Food, Frugality, Urban Gardening |
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Doing it for years. Please do not yell at me. Warmest regards, Doc.
Covenants not completely over, not here, But I am doing what I can!
I believe that you do well, my friend. Warmest regards, Doc.
The media hype about all of it is pretty concernating. ?.
It’s all green all the time anymore.
Speaking of which, there’s an interesting booklet about this at another site. It’s a big pdf download, though, so I don’t have it on this computer. I’ll dig up the link and post it tomorrow.
All in all, though, I agree. I buy (much of) my stuff from people I know. I also grow some of it, although thanks to the move, not so much this year.
MF,
You are right on the localer thingy. We buy 90% of our food from the local Farmer’s Market. We know the people, had great butter clams from Evan last night that he pull out of the Sound that morning. Most of the vendors at the FM are within 20 miles of here. Don’t have a yard per se, but do grow herbs, tomatoes, nasturtiums. mint, lettuce and chard.