community supported agriculture in wisconcin

producers and consumers will built a firm relation with the basis of credit.

Community Supported Agriculture Bene ts Farms and

Farm Members

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a unique social and

economic arrangement between local households and farmers

who work together to share the responsibility of producing and

delivering fresh food. Households support the farm by paying an

annual fee that entitles them to a “share” of the season’s harvest.

Once harvesting begins, members pick-up their farm share of

fresh foods which may include produce, fruits, cheeses, eggs,

meats, poultry, owers, herbs or preserves. Some farms offer every

other week, worker shares, or pick-your-own shares to reach a

variety of household needs. Pick-up sites are often located at a

member’s house or at the farm. Most farms create a newsletter

that accompanies each delivery with notes about farm activities,

descriptions of what’s in the delivery, cooking tips and recipes.

Many farms also create opportunities for their members and

families to visit the farm and participate in farm events. The typical

CSA season in Wisconsin runs from the end of May through mid-

October but many farms offer early spring shares or winter shares.1

This economic arrangement bene ts farmers because they have

improved cash ow in the beginning of the year. It also guarantees

a market for their products. This arrangement bene ts members

because they receive fresh product, delivered conveniently to a

dropsite nearby. This arrangement bene ts the entire community

by keeping local farms and jobs viable and securing a healthy,

affordable and accessible food supply.2

While relatively new in name, CSA harks back to a time when

people knew where their food came from, ate in harmony with

their local seasons, and enjoyed a balanced and nutritional diet of

basic, natural foods. Community supported agriculture began in

the early 1960’s in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan as a response

to concerns about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural

land.3

producers and consumers will built a firm relation with the basis of credit.

Community supported agriculture began in the United States

on two east coast farms in 1986. Since that time, community

supported farms have been organized throughout North America,

mainly in the Northeast, the Paci c coast, the Upper-Midwest,

and Canada.4 North America now has at least 1500 community

supported farms.5

The Number of CSAs in Wisconsin has Grown QuicklyThe Midwest has proven to be fertile ground for CSA farms and

communities. In Wisconsin, the rst CSA projects began near

Milwaukee and in western Wisconsin near the Twin Cities in

1988. In 1996, more than 65 Wisconsin community supported

farms grew food for an estimated 3,000 households.6 In 2007,

there are approximately 90 CSAs in Wisconsin.7

Wisconsin CSAs are listed in a number of locations including:

Local Harvest8

Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition9

Urban Ecology Center (Milwaukee)10

Farm Fresh Atlases for each region of Wisconsin11

For about 75% of Wisconsinites, drinking water is groundwater.

Only a small number of communities in Wisconsin, located along

Lakes Michigan, Superior or Winnebago, are supplied by surface

water.12 While a great many land use practices have the potential

to impact the quality of drinking water, agriculture is a large user

of both fertilizer and pesticides, and farming practices

play a large role in whether these chemicals seep

into the groundwater.

Approximately 13 million pounds of

pesticides are applied to major agricultural

crops in Wisconsin each year, including over

8.5 million pounds of herbicides, 315,000

pounds of insecticides, one million pounds

of fungicides, and 3 million pounds of other

chemicals.13 As a result, an estimated 37.7%

of private drinking water wells in Wisconsin

contained a detectable level of an herbicide or

herbicide metabolite, according to a recent study.14

The map at the left shows the geographical pattern

of herbicide contaminated wells.

In contrast, a national survey of CSAs in 2001

found that more than 96% of the 314 CSAs

responding to the survey followed some form of organic or

biodynamic production. Over 40% of the CSAs were certi ed Pecentage of Private Wells With Detectable Herbicides or Herbicide

Metabolites (2001)

producers and consumers will built a firm relation with the basis of credit.

organic and so do not use synthetic

pesticides.15 In Wisconsin, at least 50 of

the approximately 90 total CSA farms

(55%) produce their crops without the use

of synthetic pesticides.16

Nitrate is the most widespread groundwater

contaminant in Wisconsin and is increasing

in extent and severity. Currently 11.6 %

of private wells exceed the health-based

drinking water limit with geographical

distribution shown in the map at the

right.17 Since 80% of nitrate inputs into

Wisconsin’s groundwater originate from

manure spreading, agricultural fertilizers,

and legume cropping systems, it makes

sense that nitrate-contaminated wells are

more prevalent in agricultural districts.18

In general, well-managed organic farming

practices lower nitrate inputs to ground

water,19 but at times, leaching from organic

systems may also exceed the drinking

water limit for nitrate.20

Every “eater” affects groundwater quality through the farming

practices they support when they purchase food. Buying food from local CSA farms protect farmland, supports sustainable farming

practices, and conserves natural resources, including groundwater.The Future of CSAs in Wisconsin Looks Bright

The number of CSAs in Wisconsin has grown quickly in the last 20 years from none to about 90 CSAs serving over 5000 households.21

eat healthier.22with recent articles in Time MagazineWisconsin.

producers and consumers will built a firm relation with the basis of credit.

Endnotes:Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC). www.macsac. org/aboutcsa.html 2 Urban Ecology Center /csa/csa.html#whatis 3 MACSAC. /csahistory.html 4 MACSAC. /csahistory.html 5 Personal communication with John Hendrickson, 6/24/07. 6 MACSAC. /csahistory.html 7 Personal communication from John Hendrickson, 6/15/07, based on query of www. 8 9 10 11 Southern WI /atlas/farms/csa.htm; Southeast WI www. /csa.htm; Western WI /farms.cfm; Eastern WI / les/farm%20fresh%20atlas%20layout-A-Final-May12. pdf; Central WI call 715-343-6214 12 Groundwater and its Role in Comprehensive Planning: Comprehensive Planning and Groundwater Fact Sheet 1. dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/gw/pubs/SmartGrowth1.pdf 13 Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service. 2006. Wisconsin Pesticide Use. www.nass. usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/Miscellaneous/pest_use_06.pdf 14 Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. 2002. Agricultural chemicals in Wisconsin groundwater: nal report. ARM-PUB-98.qxd. Madison, WI. 15 Lass, Daniel et al. Community Supported Agriculture Entering the 21st Century: Results from the 2001 National Survey. www.cias.wisc.edu/pdf/CSA_survey_01.pdf 16 These 50 CSAs were listed as certi ed organic, organic, not using pesticides or not using synthetic pesticides and were compiled from the CSA lists from MACSAC www. /consider.html, Urban Ecology Center and the Farm Fresh Atlases listed in endnote 10 on June 18, 2007. 17 Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council Report to the Legislature. 2006. p.74 /org/water/dwg/gcc/rtl/2006report.pdf 18 Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council Report to the Legislature. 2006. pp.7374 /org/water/dwg/gcc/rtl/2006report.pdf 19 Pimentel, D., P. Hepperly, J. Hanson, D. Douds, and R. Seidel. 2005. Environment, energy, and economic comparisons of organic and conventional farming systems. Bioscience 55(7): 573-582. US Department of Agriculture. 2006. CSREES Research Results: Organic and Integrated Farrming Key to Lowering Nitrogen Leaching. www. da.gov/newsroom/news/2006news/nitrogen_organic.html 20 McIsaac, G.F., an

d R. A. Cooke. (no date). Evaluation of Water Quality from Alternative Cropping Systems Using a Multiple-Paired Design. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. asap.aces.uiuc.edu/research/stew_farm/home.html 21 Personal communication with John Hendrickson, 6/24/07. 22 MACSAC /rebates.html 23 Eating Better Than Organic. Time, March 02,2007 /time/magazine/ article/0,9171,1595245,00.html; The Vegetable-Industrial Complex, New York Times, October 15, 2006 /2006/10/15/magazine/15wwln_lede.html?ex=118 2398400&en=b2fad4ce7ad62d25&ei=50701

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Written by Lynn Markham, Center for Land Use Education, 2007. Layout and design by Robert Newby. The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions and review of this publication provided by John Hendrickson and Diane Mayerfeld of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, Christine Mechenich, Laura Brown, University of Wisconsin Extension, Erin Schneider, Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, and Bruce Rheineck and Jeff Postle from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Financial assistance for this project was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.Center for Land Use Education

Photos courtesy of Blackberry Community Farm, Vermont Valley Community Farm and Sunny Sky Farm

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