Transcript COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE

“A lawn of around a third of an acre could…
feed a family of six” – H Flores, ‘Food not
Lawns’ 2006
Community Supported
Agriculture
and
Buying Groups
Kirstin Glendinning
[email protected]
CSA…
…a partnership between producers
and consumers……
where the responsibilities, risks and
rewards of food production are more
evenly shared….
Key characteristics
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Advanced/regular payment for food
Shared ‘risk-reward’ agreement –
consumers agree to eat what the farmers
grow – season-dependant
Transparent budgeting
Access to land where food is produced
But why CSA?
• Self-financing
- independence, flexibility
• Sustainable
organic,
- improved farming techniques –
post-peak oil?
- sustainable livelihood for
farmer/grower
- guaranteed market – no waste
- development of resilient community
networks
• Accessible
- work shares
- ‘share a share’
- Credit Unions
- internal CSA loans
Some conclusions…
• No prescribed model
• A tool for transition
CSAs on farms…
Swillington CSA
•Fruit and vegetable
scheme
•50 shares
•1 part-time grower
•£28,000 turnover (yr 2)
•No external funding
www.swillingtoncsa.org
Buying groups…
The Fowl Coop – Swillington Organic Farm
• Members pay £50 every 6 months
• Receive 1 chicken/month, for 6 months
• Delivered to their local farmers’ market
The Pig CSA – Swillington Organic Farm
• Members pay £90 every 3 months
• Receive pork box once a month, for 3 months
• Delivered to their local farmers’ market
Swillington CSA SUMA buying
group…
• Discounts through bulk buying
• Monthly delivery
• Fair trade, organic, local where possible
CSAs on farms…
Stroud Community
Agriculture
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Community-owned enterprise
(IPS)
2 farmers, paid approx
£20,000pa
50 acre biodynamic mixed
farm
200 members
£60,000 turnover
www.stroudcommunityagriculture.
org
CSAs in your back garden…
Your Backyard Farmer, Oregon –
Francisco –
www.yourbackyardfarmer.com
• Decentralised urban farm
• Uses unproductive land
• Consumer involvement
•Zero food miles
•Good access
MyFarm, San
www.myfarmsf.com
Now also in Leeds and Milton Keynes…
In your neighbourhood….
Allotments:
•Green Patch, Kettering
http://www.kettering.gov.uk/download
s/green_patch_application.pdf
Public Parks:
•Het Open Veld, Leuven,
Belgium
http://www.hetopenveld.be/bio.htm
Smallholdings:
•FutureFarms, Wiltshire
http://www.futurefarms.org.uk/
What next in Chesterfield?
• People
• Land
• Growers/farmers
Chesterfield (Local Authority) Land Use
from The Office for National Statistics (2005)
1% 5%
4% 2%
8%
0%
1%
17%
62%
Domestic Building
Non-domestic buildings
Road
Path
Rail
Domestic gardens
Greenspaces
Water
Other
Information & Support…
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The Soil Association Community Supported
Agriculture and Buying Groups project is
providing:
advice and support to new CSAs and BGs
organising training events and networking
opportunities
comprehensive range of information such as
action manual, ‘how to’ guides, case studies and
practical examples through our website
www.soilassociation.org/csa
Making Local Food Work
Consortium of 7 groups led by Plunkett Foundation
We work on CSA and buying groups. Other partners offer:
• Sustain - food co-ops and local food distribution
• FARMA - Co-operatively run farmers’ markets
• Country Markets - home-produced food
• Plunkett - community shops and local food supply
• Co-ops UK - good governance and advice for community
enterprises
• CPRE - food web mapping
www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk
Community Supported
Agriculture contacts:
Amanda Daniel
Information Officer
Soil Association (Bristol)
T: 0117 914 2424
E: [email protected]
Kirstin Glendinning
Regional Development Coordinator – Leeds &Bradford, Midlands and
Eastern England
T: 0794 7715715
E: [email protected]