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Fresh Produce in your Neighborhood
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE OPEN HOUSE MARCH 10
Put a Farmer’s Face on Your Food
Madisonians care about where their food is grown, according to the soon-to-be released results of a survey
conducted by the Madison Food System Project. In the report, What’s Eating You About What You Eat? A
Survey of Madison Residents’ Likes and Concerns, by Mark R. Stevens and Samina Raja of the Madison Food
System Project and the UW Department of Urban and Regional Planning, 89% of the 372 randomly selected
Madison residents surveyed said that they like to buy Wisconsin-grown food and 83% said they are
concerned about the economic difficulties faced by area farmers.
They have good reason for concern. The route from farm to table is often a circuitous one. For most of us,
85-90% of our food comes from somewhere else, traveling an average of 1300 miles from farm to table (www.
umass.edu/umext/csa/about.html). We pay the cost for this system in many ways: More of our food dollars
go out of state to pay processors and distributors, and less goes to the farmers. Shipping food long
distances adds to pollution, uses up non-renewable resources, and forces farmers to choose varieties that
can stand up to long trips. The result is tasteless and tired vegetables. As the connection between the
farm and the consumer becomes more indirect and complex, there is an increased potential for something
to go wrong.
In the 1960s a group of Japanese women with similar concerns developed a system allowing them to
purchase food directly from local farms. They called it teikei, or “putting the farmers’ face on food.” The
movement spread to Europe and, in the 1980s, to the United States, where it was dubbed Community
Supported Agriculture, or CSA.
Today, CSA is a vital and growing movement where subscribers support local farmers by purchasing shares,
usually at the beginning of the season, when farmers need to buy seeds and supplies. In return,
shareholders receive a seasonal supply of fresh produce. Some farms may also offer meat, eggs, or cheese.
CSA lets consumers connect directly with the people who grow their food. “CSAs are open and welcoming
to members. Consumers have access to the farm to address their own concerns,” says Sandra Eldredge, a
farmer at Twinhawks Hollow Farm near Hillsboro, and a member of the Madison Area Community Supported
Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC). The benefits of this direct connection go both ways. “It’s like having 500
cheerleaders rooting for us every season,” says Linda Halley, of Harmony Valley Farm near Viroqua, one of
the larger MACSAC farms. “They care about the weather, the price of fuel, the availability of seeds and our
emotional health!”
Each MACSAC farm is unique. Some sell hundreds of shares, some less than a dozen. Some offer extended
seasons or different share sizes. Many provide opportunities to visit the farm for potlucks, festivals and
pick-your-own events. There are also many payment options and different pickup sites throughout
Madison and in many other communities in Southern Wisconsin. All MACSAC farms grow their produce
organically, without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. That is good news, since most Madison residents
who responded to the survey are concerned about eating food containing chemicals or preservatives and
about presence of chemical residues from food production and processing in Madison-area wells, streams
and lakes.
While seven percent of the Madison Food System Project survey respondents get at least some of their
food from CSA farms, “Thirty-seven percent of the respondents overall reported not having enough
information to form an opinion about CSA farms even though most residents are interested in consuming
fresh, locally produced food.” Those who are interested in learning more about CSA can do so at this year’
s CSA Open House, March 10 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Olbrich Gardens. At this free event there will be
informational booths, a children’s play area, a cooking demonstration, a slide show and a presentation on
what to expect as a CSA member. CSA farmers will be available to answer questions. There will also be
opportunities to win a two-person CSA share, as well as cookbooks and other food-related prizes.
What does the future hold? According to David Perkins of Vermont Valley Community Farm near Blue
Mounds, “The number and variety of CSAs will continue to grow as more and more people understand the
importance of this model to the survival of farms in your county, the importance of receiving fresh
produce, and the fun of coming out to your farm for a visit or event.”
For more information about the Spring Open House, CSA in general, or other MACSAC activities call (608)
226-0300 x1, or email: macsac@wrdc.org. Visit our website at www.wisc.edu/cias/macsac. Additional
information, including a state-by-state listing of CSA farms in the United States can be found at: www.nal.
usda.gov/afsic/csa. Copies of the Madison Food System Project survey report may be obtained from the
UW-Madison Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Call (608) 262-1004 for more information.
Fresh Produce in your Neighborhood
In many neighborhoods around Madison, there is a weekly routine from spring through fall. A truck pulls up
to a house and unloads boxes onto the driveway or porch or into the garage. For several hours thereafter,
cars and bikes and pedestrians arrive and the boxes are carted off to be opened with delight in people’s
kitchens. What is in those boxes? Depending on the season, it could be tomatoes, salad mix, strawberries,
sweet corn, hot peppers, snap peas, cucumbers, watermelons, pumpkins, green beans, yellow beans, fava
beans, onions, potatoes, broccoli, eggplants, or any of 30-50 varieties of produce. All fresh from the farm
and all organically grown. These people are participants in the growing movement of community supported
agriculture, or CSA.
CSA subscribers have a direct connection with their food, the land on which it’s grown, and the farmers
who grow it. They purchase shares from the farmer and, throughout the growing season (and even
beyond), they receive weekly deliveries of seasonal produce delivered to one of several convenient drop-
off sites. They may also visit the farm for potlucks, harvest festivals and pick-your-own events. Children,
especially, enjoy seeing where their food is grown.
The produce is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, so it’s good for you and good for the
land. CSA farmers choose varieties for their flavor, not for the ability to be shipped hundreds of miles and
sit on a store shelf, so it’s delicious. It’s delivered to drop-off points throughout the area, so it’s
convenient. And it’s fresh and nutritious.
You can learn more about CSAs at this year’s CSA Open House, March 10 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Olbrich
Gardens. At this free event there will be opportunities to meet the farmers, as well as a slide show and
presentations on what to expect as a CSA member. Of course there will be plenty of activities for the kids!
The event is sponsored by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC), an
organization founded in 1993, with the purpose of supporting CSA farmers, promoting CSA, educating the
public and making CSA available to low-income households through its Partner Shares program. MACSAC has
also published a cookbook entitled From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh, Seasonal Produce,
which contains over 370 recipes and cooking tips for 46 different vegetables. It is available at many
Madison-area locations, or may be ordered directly from MACSAC. For more information about the Spring
Open House, CSA in general, or other MACSAC activities call 226-0300 x1, or email: macsac@wrdc.org.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE OPEN HOUSE MARCH 10
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) allow consumers to obtain fresh, organic produce every week from
spring through fall. The Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC) will hold an
open house on Saturday, March 10 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Olbrich Gardens, 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison.
This free event will feature opportunities to meet the farmers, as well as a slide show and presentations on
what to expect as a CSA member. Of course there will be plenty of activities for the kids. Come learn
about CSA and have a great time in the process.
When subscribers join a CSA farm, they purchase shares from the farmer. The farmer uses this money to
purchase seeds and equipment needed for the season. Then, every week during the season, the harvest
is divided among the shareholders and delivered to convenient drop-off points throughout the Madison
area. Depending on the farm, growing conditions and time of year, the deliveries might include salad mix,
snap peas, broccoli, radishes, onions, strawberries, beans, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cabbage,
zucchini, pumpkins, watermelons, or any of 30-50 varieties typically grown in a season.
CSA offers consumers a direct connection with their food; they know where it’s grown. Ninety percent of
all fresh vegetables are grown in California(1). CSA supports local farmers. By buying shares in CSA farms,
approximately 1500 Madison-area households contributed over $500,000 into the local economy in 1999(2).
Since the produce is not shipped long distances and does not sit on store shelves, farmers are free to
choose the most flavorful varieties.
CSA subscribers also know how their food is grown. All CSA farms in the Madison area use organic growing
methods, which means they use no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but rely on sound, sustainable
agricultural practices which preserve the fertility of the soil and keep the environment (and your food) free
of chemical pollutants.
CSA subscribers know the people who grow their food. Farmers are often available at drop-off sites to talk
abut the week’s harvest and get feedback from subscribers. There are many opportunities to visit the farm
for harvest festivals, potlucks, You-Pick-It events and workdays. Children are especially enthusiastic about
farm visits and enjoy meeting their farmers and eating the food that’s grown just for them. They also love
seeing what new and interesting vegetables will be discovered in their box each week. Since nine out of
ten American children aged 6-11 don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day
(3), anything we can do to get them to eat more healthy food is a plus.
MACSAC is an organization founded in 1993 with the purpose of supporting CSA farmers, promoting CSA,
educating the public and making CSA available to low-income households through its Partner Shares
program. MACSAC has also published a cookbook entitled From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-
Fresh, Seasonal Produce, which contains over 370 recipes and cooking tips for 46 different vegetables. It is
available at many Madison-area locations, or may be ordered directly from MACSAC.
(1)The Practical Farmer, 1994, Vol. 9(3)
(2)Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison
(3)National Public Radio, March 1994