Members of collaborative food communities, such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), do not command exceptional amounts of economic or social capital, but what they bring is a common vision that makes them principal agents of change in the food system of farming and distribution. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes the community’s farm. CSA embodies grated trust: the members pay for the harvest before the seeds are planted.

CSA communities usually operate on a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit. There is a transparent, whole season budget for producing a specified wide array of products for a set number of weeks a year. CSA members have a common-pricing system where producers and consumers discuss and democratically agree to pricing based on the acceptance of the budget. In the CSA system the consumers become co-producers, thus a key attribute of CSA is peering.

CSA members are willing to fund a whole season’s budget in order to get quality foods.  Since the farm budget is supported, the farm can focus more on quality and reduce the risk of food waste or financial loss. CSA members purchase only what the farm is able to successfully grow and harvest. If the melon crop is not successful, the CSA members will share the burden of the crop failure by not receiving melons for the season or receiving lower quality melons. The community shares the risk and rewards of the season.

Community Supported Agriculture produces food that is often grown organically or with minimal pesticides. Agriculture that produces abundant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment is by definition sustainable. CSA communities have proven over time to be long-lasting by offering a measure of farmland preservation. Through the key attributes of collaboration, CSAs exemplify a proven economic model.