Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a localized food system
that directly links farmer and consumer. It is a relationship
which benefits everyone. Farmers share the risks of weather
and “varmints” with shareholders, and the shareholders
enjoy the freshest organic produce possible. The land is carefully
managed with consideration for future generations moving us all
a step closer to a more sustainable form of agriculture. In
exchange for their financial support, shareholders receive a
bag of freshly picked and washed vegetables every Thursday. Pick-up
locations are at the monastery in St. Joseph and at St. John
Episcopal Church, St. Cloud (at the intersection of Roosevelt
Road and Cooper Avenue).
Community supported agriculture is a new idea in farming, one
that has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the
United States from Europe in the mid-1980s. The CSA concept originated
in the 1960s in Switzerland and Japan, where consumers interested
in safe food and farmers seeking stable markets for their crops
joined together in economic partnerships. Today, there are more
than 400 CSAs in the U.S.