Swallow Crest Farm to return to CSA format

by Catherine Haug, February 1, 2012

Julian Cunningham of Swallow Crest Farm is pleased to announce he is returning to the CSA format for 2012, after the 2011 season of farmers markets and building construction. For more information, see:

In the past Julian has encouraged CSA members to come help out at the farm; while this is not a requirement of membership, it is a great way to get exercise, meet other members, and learn Julian’s Organic methods. For more information,

This year, as in the past, I will share a half-share with the Blacklers. The food is delicious; sometimes you get something you’ve never tried before (but be brave and try it!), but in my opinion, you always get your money’s worth. Sometimes I’ve been hard pressed to eat up my bounty before the next week arrives. Plus you get opportunities to bulk-purchase certain foods, such as Organic Flathead Cherries, or vegetables that can be stored through the winter in your root cellar.

See also Julian’s presentation for ESP last year: Gathering Summary: Gardening in NW Montana, by Julian Cunningham, Apr 20, 2011.

What is a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture

‘CSA’ means Community-Supported Acriculture, which is described by Wikipedia as:

“A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. …

CSAs generally focus on the production of high quality foods for a local community, often using organic or biodynamic farming methods, and a shared risk membership–marketing structure. This kind of farming operates with a much greater degree of involvement of consumers and other stakeholders than usual — resulting in a stronger consumer-producer relationship. The core design includes developing a cohesive consumer group that is willing to fund a whole season’s budget in order to get quality foods. The system has many variations on how the farm budget is supported by the consumers and how the producers then deliver the foods. CSA theory purports that the more a farm embraces whole-farm, whole-budget support, the more it can focus on quality and reduce the risk of food waste or financial loss.”

There are several different models for CSAs across the country, but they all represent the community concept in its ideal form. See my earlier post: Eating Sustainably – It Takes Community for more.

Comments are closed.