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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

How we eat determines, to an extent, how the world is used. ~Wendell Berry

What is a CSA?
A CSA is a group of people directly supporting and sustaining the produce that they consume. CSA subscribers join with growers in assuming the costs, risks, and reward of the growing season's crops. This model insures that those who buy a seasonal share of fresh produce feel more connected to the food they eat and the food they serve their family.

Laughery Valley Growers (LVG)
Through the outreach efforts of the Michaela Farm staff, a group of local vegetable growers created an agricultural cooperative in 2006 called the Laughery Valley Growers. Their farms are located in Southeastern Indiana near the watershed of Laughery Creek in the towns of Batesville, Brookville, Cross Plains, Dillsboro, Holton, Madison, Moores Hill, Oldenburg, Osgood, Sunman, Versailles, and Vevay. They plant a variety of heirloom and hybrid items that are known to be hardy and resistant to diseases.

For more information see LVG at http://www.foodandgrowers.org/

Here are samples of what may come in your box throughout the season.

Early Summer

Asparagus Cauliflower Lettuce Spinach Beets w/ greens Kale Peas Turnips Cabbage Kohlrabi Salad Mix Rhubarb

Mid Summer

Beans Corn Leeks Peppers Beets w/ greens Cucumber Lettuce Potatoes Carrots Eggplant Onions Tomatoes

Late Summer/Fall

Broccoli Garlic Salad Mix Apples Cabbage Lettuce Sweet Potatoes Cantaloupe Carrots Onions Squash Pears

How it works
A consumer buys a "share of the seasonal harvest and in return receives a dividend each week—a box of produce from the farmers who grew it. By joining a CSA subscribers are committed to eating within the seasons. It creates a direct relationship between those who want to eat safe, fresh, nutritious food and those who grow it. And, by supporting local farmers, subscribers know they will receive the best food available any given week.

Produce for the CSA shares is usually harvested a day or two prior to delivery to the packing site. This makes CSA produce some of the freshest available, unless of course you grow your own. When food items are shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, they depend upon dwindling resources of fossil fuel for processing and transporting. Such food is often harvested before fully ripe and can be coated with preservatives. Local food is fresh, flavorful and may be more nutritious.

Know Your Farmer
Farmers and gardeners who supply the produce for LVG coop's FarmFreshCSA are mostly family farmers with land that has been in the family for many generations. Laughery Valley Growers practice earth-friendly methods of production which can be described as "naturally-grown." These practices include minimum, or no, input of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and no genetically modified seeds. They use natural mineral fertilizers, composts, cover crops, and crop rotation practices to build organic matter and nutrients into soils. Such practices protect plants from insect and disease problems.

These growers own and operate the multi-farm cooperative and eliminate the middle-man from the marketing process, thus realizing better profits for their produce. By joining with growers, there is greater assurance that if one farmer has a poor crop another may have a good one.

Benefits to you—The Subscriber

• 20 boxes of fresh, naturally grown seasonal produce ready for pickup
• A connection to the food you eat by knowing where it came from
• Affordable and hassle-free way to eat more veggies
• Weekly newsletter with farm news, nutrition information, and recipes
• Meet like-minded people who enjoy, naturally-grown food
• Use of your food dollar to support your local community

The Healthy Dividend
Being a part of a CSA can significantly increase your access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables. This is good news considering that according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories and provide essential nutrients and dietary fiber. They may also play a role in preventing certain chronic diseases. When compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts, as part of a healthy diet, tend to have reduced risk of chronic diseases. These include stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. (From: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.org)