Local Food, Local Engagement: Community-Supported Agriculture in Eastern Iowa

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandi Janssen
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Local Engagement

scholarly journals Scaling-up local foods: commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Nost
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Local Foods ◽  
Rural Studies ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Food Hubs ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Food Commodities ◽  
Shed Light

Full-text, in-print version here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074301671400014XCitation: Nost, E. 2014. Scaling-up local foods: commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA). Journal of Rural Studies 34, 152-160.Non-profit, consumer, and government advocates are working to expand access to locally-produced foods as a way of addressing major social and ecological issues. Some activists, however, suggest that farms “scaling-up” production and distribution may lose sight of the movement's aims by circumventing a direct exchange between growing and consumer and by delivering “local” shares long distances. I argue that in order to answer whether scaling-up is misguided, we first have to understand how farms come to scale differently. I describe the varied practices that three community supported agriculture (CSA) farms in the Midwest perform in order to give their products market value as embedded in a specific socio-ecological context. I focus on three key moments of CSA that advocates are concerned about in scaling-up: 1) the employment of different kinds of labor; 2) operating within the seasons; 3) the management of sharer expectations about produce quantity and quality. As what I call commodity practice, farm decisions about these factors produce differently scaled local food commodities. These different practices are not necessarily incongruent with the aims of the movement. My main point in this approach is to advance an awareness of hybridity in local food institutions. As CSAs and other institutions like food hubs grow and evolve, a look at commodity practices can shed light on and confound some of the apparent contradictions in scaling-up.

scholarly journals Community-Supported Agriculture Marketing Performance: Results from Pilot Market Channel Assessments in Colorado

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becca B. R. Jablonski ◽  
Martha Sullins ◽  
Dawn Thilmany McFadden
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Marketing Channels ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Food Markets ◽  
Marketing Performance ◽  
Performance Results ◽  
Direct Market

Due in large part to rising consumer interest, the number of farmers and ranchers selling through local food markets is growing. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a unique local food channel adopted by producers that was initially established as a strategy for producers to directly benefit from the season-long investments of buyers who align with their community-focused mission. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture has long collected data to improve farm performance, information on specific marketing channels is missing, and in response, this research provides some of the first evidence of the heterogeneity of performance among CSAs. In a pilot approach to understanding the economics of CSAs relative to other direct marketing channels, we conducted an assessment process, incorporating 42 farms in Colorado between June 2016 and October 2017. Results showed that farms that incorporated CSA sales in their direct market portfolios tended to be smaller in scale and utilize more diverse markets. Although these CSA farms have lower average weekly sales, they have the highest average marketing profit margins compared to other direct market channels.

scholarly journals A KÖZÖSSÉG ÁLTAL TÁMOGATOTT MEZŐGAZDÁLKODÁS SZUBJEKTÍV ASPEKTUSAI

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-288
Author(s):  
Birtalan Ilona Liliána ◽  
Kis Bernadett ◽  
Bárdos György
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Promotional Discourse

Elméleti háttérA közösség által támogatott mezőgazdálkodás (CSA) gyorsan növekvő jelenség világszerte, a helyi élelmiszer termelésének és elosztásának az a módja, amikor a termelő és a fogyasztók (tagok) közvetlenül elköteleződnek egymás felé. A közösségi mezőgazdálkodási rendszerek, mint alulról jövő társadalmi kezdeményezések, az élelmiszerek „árutlanítása" felé tett törekvésként is értelmezhetők, és szorosan kapcsolódnak a fenntarthatóság kérdésköréhez, mely a pszichológiai és az egészségfejlesztési diskurzusba hazánkban még alig került be.MódszertanA szakirodalmak kiválasztása során először konkrét szókombinációk mentén kerestünk cikkeket, majd a talált cikkek irodalmi hivatkozásait áttanulmányoztuk; illetve szakirodalom-kereső portálok elsődlegesen talált cikkeihez ajánlott további cikkeit tekintettük át a CSA-részvétellel járó tapasztalatok szempontjából.EredményekÁttekintésünk alapján látható, hogy a részvétel nemcsak konkrét előnyök mentén értelmezhető, hanem a további aspektusok, mint Hasonló gondolkodás, Lokalitás (város-vidék tengely), Személyes törődés, Életmódváltás, valamint az Újraírt sémák taglalása is legalább olyan fontos.KövetkeztetésekVéleményünk szerint a CSA-ban való részvétel átgondolása hasznos információkat nyújthat többek között a fenntartható pozitív mentális egészség fogalmának kibontásában.Theoretical backgroundCommunity Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a rapidly growing phenomenon worldwide, a model of production and distribution of local food that connects the producer and consumers (members) directly. As a grassroot initiative, CSAs can be seen as a step towards the decommodification of food and are directly associated with sustainability which is rarely involved in psychological and health promotional discourse in Hungary.MethodsIn the selection process of literature, at first papers containing specific word combinations were selected. Articles recommended by academic literature search portals during this process and references section of the selected papers were studied further in the context CSA involvement to find more relevant articles.ResultsBased on our review it seems that CSA participation can be interpreted not only through factual advantages: Similar Thinking, Locality: urban-rural axis, Personal Care, Lifestyle Change, and Rewriting of Schemes are at least as important.ConsequenciesAccording to our view, studying participation in CSA may yield useful information for developing the concept of sustainable positive mental health.

scholarly journals La relación entre productor y consumidor en sistemas alimentarios locales: análisis de sus prácticas y narrativas

2015 ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Eleni Papaoikonomou ◽  
Matías Ginieis
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture

Los sistemas alimentarios locales, conocidos como local food systems, han crecido en popularidad en todo el mundo en los últimos años. Previa literatura en este campo ha puesto énfasis en el carácter contrahegemónico de estas iniciativas resal- tando la re-conexión de los productores y los consumidores y, a su vez, se señala una objeción a la agricultura industrial que ofrece productos anónimos y desconectados de su productor y de su lugar de origen. Sin embargo, dichos discursos románticos no siempren se comprueban a través de la evidencia empírica. En este estudio realizamos una comparación empírica entre dos sistemas alimentarios locales: las denominadas Community Supported Agriculture en Manhattan, Nueva York y las Cooperativas de Consumo Responsable en Cataluña, España. En base a la utilización de una metodo- logía cualitativa se identifican y se exploran las prácticas y narrativas de establecidas entre el productor y consumidor que también se definen por la orientación y raison d’être del sistema local.

Community Supported Agriculture, Human Capital, and Community Health

2022 ◽  
pp. 152483992110705
Author(s):  
Celina L. Martinez ◽  
Daisy Rosero ◽  
Tammy Thomas ◽  
Francisco Soto Mas
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Food Justice ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Development Education

Community supported agriculture (CSA) strengthens the local food system (LFS) and plays a critical role in promoting human capital (HC) and addressing social determinants of health (SDH). Most CSAs develop relationships that build a sense of community, and engage in activities that facilitate access to food and economic opportunities. CSAs may also contribute to personal development, education and income, working experience, and knowledge. CSA principles align with the principles of HC, specifically the pursuit of economic development. While research on the connection between CSA and HC has broadly focused on the economic aspect, the human development dimension has remained at the conceptual level. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential HC contributions by CSA and the implications for health outcomes in central/northern New Mexico. Primary and secondary data were collected through a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire and an internet search. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 CSAs. Eight (61.5%) responded and reported activities that address HC and SDH such as training, job creation, education, access to healthy food, food security, health education and disease management, social connections, and food justice. Given the potential impact, public health must contribute to CSA by generating evidence on its health and social benefits, training practitioners on supporting local food program, and promoting policy that stimulates the local economy, fosters social relations and food justice, and empowers community members. This study calls for research and practice to take a multilevel perspective on the contribution of LFSs to equity and wellbeing.

What does ‘local’ mean in the grocery store? Multiplicity in food retailers' perspectives on sourcing and marketing local foods

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonnie B. Dunne ◽  
Kimberlee J. Chambers ◽  
Katlyn J. Giombolini ◽  
Sheridan A. Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Local Foods ◽  
Local Food Movement ◽  
Food Retailers

AbstractLocal food systems are comprised of networks of actors that work to ensure the sustainability of food supplies within communities. While local food has typically been promoted through direct marketing strategies such as farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA), retail stores are increasingly carrying and marketing local foods in response to consumer demand and market potential. Given the frequency with which consumers shop at grocery stores, as well as the portion of consumers' food purchases made at these locations, these stores may play a significant role in the success of local agriculture and the shaping of ideology about what is ‘local’. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with representatives of food retailers known to source and market local foods in the four major urban centers of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Our results reveal that grocers' perceptions of local food vary significantly from one another. Additionally, our results differed in comparison to the published literature on consumers' and producers' ideas of what constitutes local. Food retailers identified varying distances (frequently a region including several states) that they consider local, as well as diverse reasons for choosing to source and market local foods (most commonly supporting the local economy). Some trends in the variation of responses relate to how the size and form of ownership of the grocery stores influence the level at which decisions are made. These wide-ranging perceptions outline many of the realities of the local food movement, as well as opportunities for change.

Local food communities: exploring health-related adaptivity and self-management practices

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Liliána Birtalan ◽  
Ágnes Neulinger ◽  
György Bárdos ◽  
Adrien Rigó ◽  
József Rácz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Related

PurposeWhile many characteristics of food consumption have been examined, little attention has been given to the health potential of consuming from local food communities. Local food communities, including community supported agriculture (CSA) are food initiatives, which try to respond to the healthy food, environmental or socioeconomic challenges of the food system. As a step toward understanding local food communities, this study sets out to examine the health-related adaptivity and self-management practices of CSA participation.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative research approach, which included semi-structured interviews (n = 35), was designed to discover the potential for being healthy: the ability to adapt and to self-manage among CSA participants. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe results suggest that local food communities can influence health-related adaptivity and self-management in the following themes: awareness of product origins; enhanced food-management capability; expanding applicability and usability of the food environment; and strengthening one's food-related self-image.Practical implicationsIncreasing the presence of local food communities might be part of developing strategies to evaluate the health effects of the local food environment and to encourage consumers to take responsibility for their own health.Originality/valueThis study extends the food consumption literature to include new knowledge about how local food communities facilitate individual efforts to enhance their own potential for health as well as improving understanding of the mechanisms that underpin a healthy diet.

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