Community Supported Farms – Farm Supported Communities is the subtitle of this book. And it sums up my hopes for the world.
This is also the vision that underlies all of Farms of Tomorrow Revisited by Trauger Groh & Steve McFadden.
Published in 1998 by Biodynamic Association, this is a CSA handbook written about 10 years after the first CSAs started to appear in North America.
The CSA landscape has changed in the intervening 24 years, and there are now many more CSA resources. So, if you’re just looking for a simple How to CSA guide, this is not the first book I’d recommend.
But if you’re looking for a deep dive into the meaning behind CSA, you might not be able to do better than this book.
At the heart of the book, there are 9 farm profiles that cover aspects of their history and approach to CSA.
I was curious how many of those farms were still in operation and I was able to find 7 of these 9 farms on the internet.
This really impressed me. 24 years is a long time for case studies to go out of date. And I’m sure that these farms have evolved during that time. But I can’t help but wonder how much some of the community based principles that brought these farms to be featured in this book might also be why these farms still exist.
If you’re looking for inspiration for why farming is important for communities, read this book!
The #farmerbookclub isn’t a book club in the traditional sense.
There’s no book that you’re assigned and expected to come back and discuss. We don’t gather in a virtual living room with the beverages of our choice.
I’m simply sharing some farming books that you might want to read. I’d love to hear what you think of these books. If you do read them, come back some time and post your reflections or send me a DM!!
My next free online workshop is on Thursday February 17 at 2pm Eastern …
Registration isn’t open yet but when it is open it will be here.