CSA Network Meetings

 

There are more than 250 CSA operations in California, making community supported agriculture an important feature of the local food system!

CAFF hosted the first in a series of regional meetings for CSA farmers to form a statewide network. At last week’s meeting, about twenty farmers gathered at Glide Ranch in Davis to discuss the formation of a network. UC Davis researcher and professor Ryan Galt presented the findings from his statewide survey of CSA farmers. We learned about what CSA farmers find the most challenging and the most successful about their operation, the average size of a CSA in the state, and other data that helps us shape the future of the CSA movement. Professor Galt is preparing a similar survey for CSA consumers to find out what type of CSA they are attracted to, why former members leave, and gather feedback from the consumer’s prospective. For more information on Galt’s research visit http://caff.org/programs/csas/csa-research/.

Other topics discussed over a bountiful potluck dinner included direct marketing policy and an explanation of AB 224 from CAFF’s policy director, Dave Runsten. A lively dialogue about single farm and multi-farm CSAs followed. We look forward to hosting similar meetings around the state! Our next CSA network meeting is coming up Monday March 17^th at the Sebastopol Grange Hall. Contact Rachel to RSVP or for more information, rachel@caff.org or 530-756-8518. Stay tuned for the announcement of the Santa Cruz regional meeting, later this month.

To join in the next regional CSA meeting or to stay updated on the formation of a CSA network, visit http://caff.org/programs/csas/network/.