CSA Final Post

We decided to research and raise awareness about a program in Madison called Community Supported Agriculture.  It is described in detail in our Introductory Project Statements but to reiterate the main point, CSA is a program that allows locals to become shareholders of a farm.  Shareholders pay a flat fee (usually around $550) for a 20-week piece of that season’s harvest.  Participants receive completely organic produce, poultry, meats, dairy products, etc.

After lots of research and a visit to a local farm called “Goodness Organics” in McFarland, WI, we learned that CSA contributes to sustainability in multiple ways.  There are financial benefits both on the personal level and on a larger scale.  Joining CSA saves money for the participants who do not need to shop for produce/dairy products etc. at places like Fresh Market on University Avenue.  Products in large-scale markets like these are more expensive because the revenue from that product needs to go to the original producer, cover transportation costs, and contribute to the profit of the market itself.   We calculated that someone who participates in CSA can save up to $22.50 a week, and $450 in total by not shopping at supermarkets.  There are financial benefits at the community level because money is transferred directly between the locals and the farmers: no funds are lost, and the transaction is mutually beneficial.  It is nice to know exactly where your money is going, and that it is staying directly within your community.

There are obviously health benefits to eating organic produce as well.  CSA boasts products that are almost entirely organic.  The farms have to undergo an extensive process in order to receive an organic certification, but they do it because the benefits are enormous.  In some large-scale supermarkets, pesticides have been found in almost 50% of their produce. Apples and celery are two kinds of produce that tend to have high levels of pesticides.  Why is it important to avoid pesticides? “Pesticides are known to be toxic to the nervous system, cause cancer, disrupt hormones and cause brain damage in children. Pregnant women are advised to avoid foods containing pesticides” (USA TODAY).  The produce that CSA participants receive is completely pesticide-free.  Additionally, supermarket produce often spends days in the back of a truck, and days sitting on a shelf waiting to be bought.  CSA produce is exponentially fresher.  Fresh produce from CSA tends to be packed with phytonutrients, which are good for us because of their protective health benefits (Pete Anderson, Nutritional Sciences).  Lastly, CSA is the healthier option because eating seasonally allows for more dietary variety and subsequently a wider variety of vitamins and nutrients in the diet.

Sustainability really came into play when we realized the relatively minimal effect that CSA has on the environment.  The number one thing we can do as consumers to cut energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions is to eat locally! (Pete Anderson) Acquiring produce from large-scale supermarkets is definitely not green in comparison.  Many foods have high water content and therefore require highly refrigerated trucks to transport them across the country.  These gas-guzzling trucks burn gallon after gallon of gasoline moving from city to city.  They also release extremely harmful carbon emissions and excessive amounts of CO2 into the air.  Essentially, joining CSA is the number one thing locals can do to reduce their carbon footprint, making it an extremely sustainable and worthwhile program.

            Lastly, the social benefits of CSA definitely make it worthwhile. Joining CSA allows residents to build strong community ties with farmers and other families from their area.  CSA members are given opportunities to visit the farm around holidays for fun-filled events, are presented with job, internship and donation opportunities, technical workshops, mentorship programs, etc.  These social benefits are just another reason why joining CSA is the healthiest, most cost-efficient, and sustainable way to acquire food.

Applied Project- Meals Using Organic Produce

                    For this part of our project, we decided to cook meals, or snacks using only organic produce. Each night for four days, we would invite friends over who live in apartments and would benefit through a CSA share. During the meal, we’d present to them our PowerPoint on Community Supported Agriculture and survey them with questions about their interest in the program. Early on, we discovered how difficult it is to cook using solely organic produce, so we became more flexible with our initial rules. However, all of the vegetables and fruits we used for our meals were completely organic as confirmed by the employees at Fresh Market. We chose these items to reflect the organic produce that students would receive through their shares with CSA. Unfortunately, we could not attain these items through partnership farmers of CSA because of our lack of transportation, the time constraint, and the current growing season. However, we did receive fresh cranberries from the farm we visited in McFarland, Wisconsin, and used them to create some delicious cranberry bread. Below we’ve documented the items we made, followed by the quotes we found most interesting from our friends on their opinion regarding the Community Supported Agriculture program. It is our hopes that these meals, as well as our facilitation of CSA discussion, will encourage our friends to not only participate in CSA next semester, but to also encourage their friends to participate, ultimately spreading the word around campus. Tara and I are thrilled that our roommates for next year have already agreed to split a CSA share in the upcoming months.

 Meal

Interviews:

Question: Did you think the food tasted differently knowing that we used mostly organic ingredients?

Answer from Cory Kanner, Junior Engineering Major: “I’m not sure if it was because it was organic or because of the way it was prepared, but the food tasted really fresh and delicious!”

Question: After detailing the CSA program, would you at all be interested in obtaining a share this spring or next year?

Answer from Ellie Stern, Sophomore Human Development Major: “After hearing your presentation, I’d really be interested in obtaining a share. I’m excited to go home and tell my roommates, as well as call my parents. With the health benefits and the amount of money we’d be saving it just seems like the most logical thing to do.”

Answer from Stephanie Goodman, Junior Communication Arts Major: “I’d definitely be interested in obtaining a share with my roommates, however, I just hope that the majority of the farms drop off the produce, since none of my roommates have access to a car. Also, it would probably be difficult to convince them to participate if we had to take a cab to the farm every other week.”

Question: Would you ever take advantage of the community building or internship opportunities available through CSA?

Answer from Lindsey Fiddle, Sophomore Social Work Major: “To be completely honest, I don’t see myself taking advantage of these opportunities, although I do think it’s great that such opportunities are given to students.”

Answer from Sam Sklover, Sophomore Environmental Studies Major: “I could definitely see myself taking advantage of an internship through the CSA. Environmental issues are really a passion of mine and I would love to get involved with a program that benefits the environment and members of the Madison community.”

Project Statement

For my project I plan to (attempt to) make the world a better place by encouraging UW students to invest in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  CSAs allow local residents to buy shares of local farms seasonal output.  This is definitely something worth investing in for multiple reasons.  1) In the long run, although spending $200 or so dollars to be a part of the program may seem like a hefty price to pay, it ends up saving hundreds of dollars because of the sheer amount of produce one receives monthly.  2) By joining the CSA, Madison students would be supporting local businesses as well as consuming organic foods.  At this day in age, everyone raves about the importance of organic food, but many complain about high prices… joining a CSA makes it possible to consume the best that anyone has to offer, without having to pay too much.  My partner Kayla and I plan to raise awareness about CSAs among numerous Langdon Street Apartments, where many residents are from out of state and may have never heard of such a program.  In doing so, we will reduce the amount of processed, highly unsustainable food bought by most students as well as support local, sustainably agriculture and educate students about ways in which to get the most for your dollar.  If we can do this, the Langdon Street carbon footprint has the potential to be minimized.