Sharing the Harvest

To an increasing number of American families the CSA (community supported agriculture) is the answer to the globalization of our food supply. The premise is simple: create a partnership between local farmers and nearby consumers, who become members or subscribers in support of the farm. In exchange for paying in advance--at the beginning of the growing season, when the farm needs financing--CSA members receive the freshest, healthiest produce throughout the season and keep money, jobs, and farms in their own community.

In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a Chelsea Green classic, authors Henderson and Van En provide new insight into making CSA not only a viable economic model, but the right choice for food lovers and farmers alike. Thinking and buying local is quickly moving from a novel idea to a mainstream activity. The groundbreaking first edition helped spark a movement and, with this revised edition, Sharing the Harvest is poised to lead the way toward a revitalized agriculture.

1. What is Community Supported Agriculture?
2. CSA and the global supermarket
3. Creating a CSA
4. Choosing a farm or farmer
5. The land
6. Nurturing a solid core group
7. Labor
8. Sharers on the farm
9. Money matters for CSAs
10. Legalities
11. To certify or not to certify?
12. Community and communications
13. Growing the food
14. Handling the harvest
15. Distributing the harvest
16. The weekly share
17. Combining CSA with other markets
18. Regional networking for farm-based development economics
19. Multifarm CSAs
20. Matching biodiversity with social diversity
21. Agriculture supported communities
22. CSA around the world
23. CSAs that quit