From Farm To Fork: Understanding Community-Supported Agriculture Programs in Chicago
Have you heard of Misfit Market, Imperfect Produce, and Butcher Box? What if we told you you could participate in something similar… but local? Local produce, local meat, local farmers farming on local farms.
It’s called a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and we have a plethora of options right here in Chicago and the Chicagoland area!
Read on to learn more about what a community-supported agriculture program is, why they’re beneficial for your health and the local economy, and how to choose the right program for you. When you’re finished, head to our local resource page to look at CSA programs serving Chicago!
What Is A Community-Supported Agriculture Program?
To understand why a local CSA program is so important, we first have to look at the bigger picture.
Between climate change, advancing technology, decreasing commodity prices, and more, keeping a farm alive has never been more difficult. The number of farms in the U.S. has been on a steady decline for decades. A total of 2 million farms remain in the U.S., of which 89% are small, family farms that supply 18% of the total value of (farm) production.
A Community-Supported Agriculture program is a newer way of operating that helps preserve local farms by connecting them to the community. The definition of a CSA program is an exchange in which individuals purchase “farm shares” for a specific price in exchange for locally grown produce, meats, and other items. Investing in a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is a direct investment in helping local, family-run farms survive and thrive while strengthening local food systems.
Each CSA program is unique to the farm/group of people running it! Listed on our resource page, we have 24 CSA programs serving Chicago, located throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin — and each one is wonderfully different.
How Does A CSA Work?
A CSA program is similar to other food delivery services and programs like HelloFresh, Misfit Market, and Imperfect Foods, except that everything comes from local farms! You receive local produce, meats, or other items after investing in the farm via a seasonal fee or a monthly/seasonal subscription fee. Some CSAs offer delivery, some offer pickup, and some let you choose.
The most common community-supported agriculture products are seasonal vegetables and local meat, however, CSAs carry a large variety of goods like the following:
In-season veggies
Sustainably raised meat
Composting services
Eggs
Fruit
Flowers
Herbs
Jam
Honey
Cheese
Bread
And even recipes that go with the seasonal produce!
After signing up for a CSA program, you received a wide variety of insanely fresh and always in-season produce (or meats) directly from a local farm.
Not only are you shopping local, but you’re investing in the local food system by providing an investment in local farms and farmers to help them stay ahead of their needs and continue to operate.
How Do CSA Programs Strengthen Local Food Systems?
The current industrial farming system — where the majority of us get our store-bought food from, and what contributes to the remaining 79% of food production — isn’t working.
Industrial farming came around in the 1950s to ensure the American people had reliable, affordable access to food. While it has remained (fairly) affordable for the ‘average’ family many things have changed.
We have been disconnected from our food source.
We have been exposed to high amounts of fertilizers and pesticides (in our food and land).
We have destroyed farm economies around the world.
We have created a public health crisis via high sugar, high fat, meat-heavy diets.
And yet, 12.5% of American households experience food insecurity (about 5 million children).
This industrial, mass system isn’t working.
A Community-Supported Agriculture Program Is An Investment In Local Businesses — And People
If you’ve ever eaten a fresh tomato right off the vine and experienced the explosion of flavor that comes from fresh produce, you know the value of accessing high-quality, fresh food. Joining a CSA program might mean you never need to eat a flash frozen, underripe, flavorless tomato again, but it offers so much more in the way of building a sense of community, developing relationships with people and food, and preserving and expanding the local food system.
By participating in a CSA program, you’re giving your vote of confidence to the farm and the farmers, in addition to a kind of cash advance to help them deliver on their promise. But you’re not the only one—a community of people is coming together, investing in the farm for the same reasons.
Because of this shared risk that you and the other members take on, you’re all likely to develop a sense of connection with each other and the farmers. The farmers do the same and because of the personal structure of a CSA program, the CSA program as a whole is able to be more responsible and adaptable to its members’ needs.
Imagine trying to get in touch with Huntz Tomatoes!
Even more than the knowledge (and satisfaction) of investing in a local business, the accessibility to local food is a step towards creating a more positive relationship with food itself and with the people who grew it: your neighbors, your friends, and your community.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
A Healthy And Sustainable Local Food System Creates A Healthy Community
It’s easy to understand the benefits of shopping local and eating local. Although eating local is usually thought of as frequenting locally-owned restaurants, it also includes getting your food locally by supporting local farmers — many of which also provide supplies to local restaurants. Increasing local food production has the potential to create over 5,000 jobs and generate $16.5 billion in economic activity, just for the Chicagoland region.
But what does a healthy local food system look like?
For starters, it looks like knowing where your food is coming from. Most CSAs are growing organic food and using sustainable and regenerative farming practices which is better for the land, and our health, long-term.
Many of these organizations also offer an educational element such as training programs for youth, recently incarcerated people, and individuals with developmental or physical disabilities in addition to opportunities to volunteer on the farm, hands-on learning at the farm, or conservation education around issues like water and soil protection.
Compared to industrial farming methods, CSAs are not only feeding and educating their communities but protecting the environment. Generally speaking, CSAs:
Use fewer chemicals
Practice water conservation techniques
Protects rural-urban farmlands
Create less soil erosion
Lower the distance of “food miles” or the emissions associated with getting your food from production to consumption.
Conserve, protect, and preserve natural resources
Support conservation efforts
Use more crop and ecosystem diversity
Minimizes food packaging and transportation
Create access to healthy food for all income groups
The positive contribution CSAs provide to your health, the community, and the local economy are clear but as with anything, there are some downsides.
Pros and Cons of Community-Supported Agriculture Programs
Let’s explore the most common benefits and disadvantages of a community-supported agriculture program.
Benefits of Joining a Local CSA Program
Fewer trips to the grocery store (or at least the crowded or lacking produce section)
Access to fresh, preservative/hormone-free produce and foods.
Access to healthy, high-quality, seasonal produce and foods.
Access to food grown by farmers, activists, conservationists, and others passionate about feeding their community.
Food that was raised/grown via sustainable farming methods.
‘Guaranteed’ delivery/access to fresh food not always found at the grocery store.
A lower environmental footprint due to shorter transportation distances, less reliance on and usage of fossil fuels, less packaging, and less environmentally-intensive farming methods.
Keeping your dollars local by investing in local farmers.
Supporting local businesses.
Support the additional efforts of the CSA like providing safe spaces for youth, job training, and addressing food insecurity within our communities.
Preservation and protection of local land and resources.
Increased education about farming and food production.
The opportunity to interact and develop relationships with other like-minded people as everyone bands together to support a local farm.
Disadvantages of joining a Local CSA Program
Variety — you might be in for a lot of one abundant crop, your CSA might surprise you, or you might get a vegetable you’ve never cooked with before. You get what you get.
You’re ‘limited’ to seasonal produce (vs. the grocery store that offers everything).
There might be limited options for pickup or delivery or even accessibility issues.
Because of the shared risk element, you’re not typically reimbursed if the harvest is low for whatever reason.
Commitment — you are financially committed in addition to committing to the time it takes to receive the food and cook it. Your CSA program also might not let you pause deliveries if you’re going to be traveling.
There can be requirements for participation.
The price of joining a CSA.
The cost of joining a CSA is usually the largest barrier to entry. In addition to the price of the program, you’re oftentimes required to pay upfront or commit to a certain price over a determined period of time.
Not all are able to, but it’s important to note that some CSA programs accept and work with nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, or others. It’s always worth emailing a CSA organization to see if they work with these programs, offer sliding scales, or whether they have any other kind of assistance programs.
If you’re interested in joining a Chicago CSA program, our resource page has a list of local CSAs that serve the Chicago area.
If cost is the determining factor that is preventing you from joining, keep in mind many programs offer discounts for volunteering on the farm. Some programs like The Urban Canopy accept LINK for payment and offer a LINK match program ($25); you can split a box with friends or family to reduce the cost; and it’s always worth getting in contact with the CSA to see if they provide any additional options.
Chicago CSA Programs That Offer Monthly Subscriptions or Smaller Programs
While some Chicago CSA programs require upfront payments for the entire season (remember, to help them front the cost of growing all the delicious food), many programs offer monthly payment options, smaller and shorter packages, and items other than vegetables.
Just Roots offers monthly subscriptions for $50 per month for a 12-week program. They also offer a 25% discount for volunteering on their farm.
Star Farm Chicago offers egg and bread shares for $14 and $16 per month respectively for half shares in addition to a $100 biweekly vegetable share.
Wild Trillium Farms offers a 4-week season extension for $160 for late-season crops.
Know a flower lover? Wild Trillium also offers a $180 bi-weekly flower delivery of local flowers, herbs, and grasses from June-October.
Kings Hill Farm offers a 4-week sampler CSA program starting at 4 deliveries for $72 (waitlisted).
Mick Klüg Farm also offers a 4-week program for $139 per 4-week month for a full season, an extended full season, or a peak season timeline.
Tomato Mountain Farm offers customized boxes of farm fresh produce, staples, & specialty items, delivered with options to pay as you go that allow you to pause or cancel anytime. Their lowest package is a ‘solo’ option for 1-2 adults starting at $16 per week.
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm was Chicago's first Meat CSA; they offer small, medium, and large monthly options starting at $68 for ~7.5 pounds plus 1 dozen eggs per month.
Slagel Family Farm has a monthly membership available for $85 (minimum 3-month commitment) that gets you an assortment of 5-6 items including beef, pork, lamb, and chicken.
Get Involved in A Chicago CSA Program
Ready to get your hands dirty and grow your knowledge? Many Community-Supported Agriculture programs offer an educational element through hands-on learning and opportunities to volunteer.
Here’s a quick list of some of the Chicago CSA programs that offer a variety of volunteer opportunities.
Angelic Organics Learning Center (Angelic Organics) (Caledonia, IL)
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm has a variety of events both paid and free (Ottawa, IL)
Global Garden Farms (Albany Park)
Star Farm Chicago (Back of the Yards)
Just Roots offers workshops and farm volunteering opportunities (Sauk Village, IL, Bronzeville)
Growing Home (Englewood)
Chicago Patchwork Farms (Humbolt Park, Ukrainian Village)
There are some amazing people doing fantastic work around Chicago and its border states to bring healthy, accessible, fresh food to all their neighbors. We hope this inspires you to consider joining or getting involved with a CSA program near you!
If you know of a community-supported agriculture program we left out, feel free to let us know.
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY
Lauren Plug, Blog and SEO Manager of Chicago Environmentalists.
