What is Community Supported Agriculture?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a farming model where the farmer sells reservations or “subscriptions” to their product offerings for a certain period of time. It began as farmers looked to implement non-traditional farming methods such as biodynamic, diversification, organic farming, no-till, etc. Farm service agency (USDA) farm loans just aren’t available to farmers using newer growing methods. The FSA funds chemicals, defined composition of nutrient additions, large machinery & huge crops to wholesale markets, leaving small family farms to figure out their own solutions. I’ve worked with FSA extensively, and they absolutely refuse to fund diversified crops. (I was able to reach agreement on funding growing mass amounts of lisianthus for the wholesale market).
CSAs started popping up in the early 2000s. In exchange for the customer purchasing in advance, the farmer usually offers a discount or lower prices. However, the customer also traditionally shares in the risk the CSA farmer takes. For instance, if hail, floods, tornados or late snow decimate crops, the customer may experience reduced availability of produce or flowers. The customer’s subscription basically replaces traditional FSA crop insurance (which usually isn’t available for diversified farms – just like FSA loans). Additionally, many CSAs either offer a work discount or have a work requirement for CSA membership. Labor is by far the hardest to source and most expensive part of farming.
There are many different subscription models for CSAs. Initially, they started out as “you get what you get” baskets of whatever the farmer was harvesting that week. However, new models have evolved, including the “commissary” or store credit model, which is what we use. CSA subscriptions have also evolved to involve farmer coops, delivery, custom orders, and inclusion of value-added products (breads, cookies, jams, preserves, butter, eggs, etc). Additionally, flower CSAs are becoming more popular as well.
CSAs in the Fort Collins metro area are extremely popular as you can see from the list below. I’m providing a comprehensive list here, and you can also check Local Harvest, Around Foco, Farmshares, and the Fort Collins Coloradoan for more extensive details.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) in the Fort Collins Metro and Surrounding Areas
- Lady Moon Operates as a coop CSA with the commissary model. No work requirement. Custom order baskets. Delivers to Fort Collins Area, Local Pickup in Glacier View Meadows (Livermore). Offers produce(greens), veggies, herbs, flowers, canned goods, baked goods, plants, vegetable starts, limited medicinal herbs, locally hand-crafted items and more.
- The Vegetable Connection Offers CSA subsidy for low income families in partnership with several local farms, including Gordon Creek Farm. Subscriptions operate per the partner farm model. Available with income restrictions for a limited number of participants throughout the Fort Collins metro area including outlying areas. Offers subsidy for fruits and vegetables.
- RFL Market Online farmer’s market. No work requirement. Custom order whatever is available any given week from many farmers local to the Red Feather Lakes area. Delivery to pickup locations in Glacier View Meadows and Red Feather Lakes. Offers, produce(greens), vegetables, herbs, honey, meat, baked goods, flowers and more.
- Blue Barrel Farm Traditional single-farm CSA model with set basket each week. No work Requirement. Pickup on-farm only (N CR 15). Offers produce and veggies.
- Colorado Fresh Farms Will add update when 2023 info is available.
- Folks Farm and Seed Uses commissary/store credit model with built-in 10% discount. No work requirement. Purchase using store credit at their farm stand (S. Taft Hill) or the FoCo Downtown Farmers Market; whatever is in season. Offers produce, vegetables, herbs, some medicinal herbs, some fruit and flowers.
- Garden Sweet Operates on the commissary model with extensive pick-your-own options. No work requirement. Purchase using store credit at their farm stand (Willox Ln) or delivery with Uber/Doordash. Offers produce, vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, baked goods, plants, hanging baskets, and more.
- Green Dog Farm CSA Will update when 2023 info is available.
- Hope Farms Offers work shares. Will update when 2023 info is available.
- Jodar Farms Will update when 2023 info is available. Offers poultry and eggs.
- Lady Moon Operates as a coop CSA with the commissary model. No work requirement. Custom order baskets. Delivers to Fort Collins Area, Local Pickup in Glacier View Meadows (Livermore). Offers produce(greens), veggies, herbs, flowers, canned goods, baked goods, plants, vegetable starts, limited medicinal herbs, locally hand-crafted items and more.
- Native Hill Farm
- Raisin’ Roots
- Shire CSA
- Sproutin’ Up
- Vibrant Life Farm
- Woolly Goat Farm