Demand for CSA memberships still high after pandemic surge
While many pandemic-related trends are tapering off, interest in community supported agriculture programs is still strong.
CSAs, allow consumers to buy local food directly from a farmer via membership. Many farms across Minnesota max out their memberships.
Twice a week New Ulm, Minn., farmer Tim Guldan sets up his pick-up site for his CSA members outside of his father’s house. People drop by to collect their weekly produce share, and maybe catch up with neighbors.
Kristi Rainwater joined Guldan’s CSA because she wanted to get her family eating more vegetables. She also wanted to try seasonally available produce such as bok choy and napa cabbage.
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“I’ve actually looked into it for a few different years, but I always like to sign up a little bit too late,” Rainwater said. “And so, there’s no room. So, this year, I remembered and I signed up early enough. So, I was able to get in on the CSA for this year.”
Here’s how it works: People join and pay up front for a share of produce for the season. Then for about four months members get a weekly box, or in the case of the Guldan CSA, a tote bag, filled with whatever is ripe.
Shares come in different sizes at different costs. Members can also sign up for newsletters about what’s happening on the farm and get tips and recipes to cook their produce.
Guldan picks vegetables going into CSA membership shares within 24 hours of delivery to ensure they are fresh at pick-up.
“So for this week, they’re actually getting about a little over a half-pound of green beans, some cabbage, zucchini, summer squash as well as some head lettuce,” he said. “And as different things come into season or go out of season, what they get for take-home for a meal that changes along with it.”
CSAs offer benefits to producers and customers.
When member sign up for the program, they get fresh produce, but they also assume a share of the farmer’s risks. That’s everything from poor yields of certain crops caused by droughts or severe weather; to maybe a wild animal got into the crops.
Still Guldan says he makes sure the farm provides each member with value for their membership dollars.
“The thing about farmers markets and the CSA program is getting the opportunity to know your customers individually,” he said. “It’s not just the random number in the spreadsheet that’s keeping your income going.”
Farms provide a variety of products through their CSAs. Some work together and offer combined boxes. Depending on where you live you can find CSAs offering meat products, honey or even cut flowers.
Farmers report 2020 was a CSA boom year, Minnesota Grown Marketing Manager Rachel Wandrei said — and it became a challenge to find farms that still had memberships available.
“What we’re seeing now is that it is plateauing, but there is still very strong demand,” Wandrei said. “They are selling out often. They’re holding steady, and that’s great for our farmers.”
Wandrei says consumers’ interest in personal relationships with their local producer might explain the continuing demand.
“People really want to know where their food is coming from, how it is being grown or raised, they also really like knowing that their dollars are staying in their community,” she said. “They’re supporting their neighbors, supporting their local farm. And eating seasonally is just a great way to build that deeper connection with your food to a farm to the land itself.”
Back at the pick-up site, friends Carolyn Tood and Jane Jensen are checking this weeks tote bag. They split a share. Todd says she appreciates the interaction with her grower.
“You just know the person,” Todd said. “So you’re supporting someone local. You know, not to say there aren’t local providers in your grocery store, but this is just firsthand. You never question where [the food] comes from and you get things that you can’t always get in a store.”
Editor’s note (July 28, 2023): The story has been clarified to reflect the CSA is community supported, not community shared.