Skip to Main Content

Community Supported Agriculture

Geographic region : 
South West
Geographic region : 
England
Geographic region : 
United Kingdom
Last updated: Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Website

http://www.soilassociation.org/csa.aspx
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk

Images

Contact Project
Javascript is required to view this map.

Project Aim

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and the local community, providing mutual benefits and reconnecting people to the land where their food is grown.

Our experienced team at the Soil Association is helping new CSAs to become established and supporting the development of a CSA network. In addition, we are helping buying groups to buy more fresh seasonal organic produce and exploring the range and potential for larger buying group models.

Further details

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and the local community, providing mutual benefits and reconnecting people to the land where their food is grown.

Our experienced team at the Soil Association is helping new CSAs to become established and supporting the development of a CSA network. In addition, we are helping buying groups to buy more fresh seasonal organic produce and exploring the range and potential for larger buying group models.

The Soil Association is in a partnership project called Making Local Food Work funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Consisting of a consortium of partners, the Making Local Food Work project is rooted in the belief that the needs of consumers, producers and the land are interdependent, and that community enterprise can renew and strengthen these links to the lasting benefit of all.

What support is the Soil Association providing?

  • We are providing comprehensive information through a website to help initiatives to get established – this includes a detailed action manual, case studies, 'how to' guides and lots of practical examples.
  • Our regional officers are providing advice and support to groups setting up new CSAs
  • We are helping groups with finding land, finding farmers/growers that are interested in being involved and finding local suppliers etc.
  • In order to provide ongoing support we will be establishing 'buddying' links with other initiatives
  • We are running training events on CSAs and Networking events

For more information on the Making Local Food Work project, see

www.soilassociation.org/csa.aspx

www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk

Why not join the network, sign up to our newsletter, attend some of our training events, or explore what’s happening around the country by looking at some of the case studies and websites? We are always happy to hear from you.

Inspiration

The many benefits of strong rurual economies and localised food systems, paired with the difficulties farmers can face accessing secure alternative markets and communities have sourcing the food they want locally.

Outcomes so far

There are currently 35 CSAs trading in the UK and 26 of these are new since the project began. There are a further 115 in development and more literally every week! Plus there are CSAs in Wales, Scotland and Norther ireland (although because of Lottery restriction we are limited to working in England) The project has disseminated over 20 press artices and 20 cases studies (which are on our website along with our Action Manual and numerous useful reports and briefing sheets to get you started). We have devleoped a horticultural crop planning tool to help those new to growing for box schemes to plan thier crops. We have run over 30 events and 10 study visits, have met with numerous groups and attended thier public launches and we are developing horticultural mentoring networks to create a strong mutually supportive movement of CSAs that will continue after the project ends in March 2012.

Unexpected outcomes

We are working on an evaluation and have already produced a Beacons Report which examines the evolution of seven projects. it seems CSAs are up against the same concerns as all small businesses, but we have seen evidence that during the recession CSAs faired better than ordinary box schemes as the customers stayed committed to the farm. We are also in awe of the dedication and vision of people starting CSAs andusing the model to fit their circumstances - we have seen all sorts and scales of vegetable and meat enterprises emerge, as well as community supported bees, bread, firewood, fish and wool. CSA is truely taking on a life of its own.

Links and Partnerships

Our partnership consists of:
The Plunkett Foundation who are offering specialist enterprise support, funded study visits and mentoring as well as community shops shops and local food
Co-operatives UK who are offering legal and governance advice
Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming who are supported food co-ops and buying groups as well as supply chain and distribution
CPRE (The Campaign to Protect Rural England) who are undertaking local food web mapping
Country Markets and FARMA who are supporting country and farmers markets

Sources of Funding

The project is funded as part of the Making Local Food Work partnership by the Big Lottery Fund.

Many of our projectshave accessed support from elsewhere including parish funded for small capital start up costs, UnLtd to support new enterprises, Lantra and the Federatino of City Farms and Community Gardens to subsidise study visits.

Contacts

Primary point of contact: 
Bonnie Hewson

Files

application/pdf iconCSA Action Manual
Themes: 
Food

Comments

Add comment

Login or register to post comments