I am the coordinator for the Full Plate Farm Collective, a three-farm Community Supported Agriculture endeavor here in Ithaca. Students can use the CSA model to eat local fresh food. There’s a bounty of delicious, healthy, extremely high-quality food grown in this area, and it can be accessed by the entire campus community.

The importance of using less fossil fuel is obvious to almost everyone. The number of food-borne illnesses is scary. The high level of obesity, diabetes and other physical ailments because of malnutrition and overconsumption of “empty” foods is on the rise. The troubled economy is costing people jobs and homes. The distance between people is causing emotional disparity, more often leading to violence in local communities. And that’s just the start of the issues society is facing. The good news is that belonging to and supporting a CSA can address all of those issues.

CSAs started in the mid-1980s in the U.S. The idea has been steadily growing, and now there are close to 1,500 CSAs in the U.S. There are about 20 CSAs in the Ithaca area alone.

The way a CSA works is members of a community invest in a “share” of a local farm by putting money up front before the growing season begins. The farmer uses the money to buy seeds, equipment, etc. and in turn provides the shareholders with freshly harvested produce off the farm each week. A CSA’s structure may vary depending on the farm and its members, but all share the same basic principles: The community supports the farmers, who grow the community food. Most CSA farms are organic, though some smaller ones may not be certified.

Being a CSA member greatly minimizes the distance one’s food travels. The farmer grows food on a small scale with careful attention, and it is safe and of the highest quality possible. Freshly harvested, organic vegetables are super-packed with nutrients and low in all the other stuff that is not good for one’s health. Buyers are putting their money directly into a small business, buying real value, creating jobs and cycling it back through the community. A CSA is a community of members and farmers – where one can meet all sorts of people, share recipe ideas and learn a lot.

CSAs tend to run from June to November, and a few participate in the winter, which runs from December to February. Many have weekly newsletters, including recipes and farm news. Some have working share options while others don’t. Some CSAs also offer delivery, some bring the produce into town, and some do farm pick-ups. For students, some CSAs will be able to work with anyone’s schedule if a member will be away for part of the season. Some participating

farms have “U-Pick Crops” where members can get in on the action. The nature of a small community-based endeavor is that it is flexible enough to serve the community. If you’re not sure about something, ask.

A quick browse of the Web will give you an idea of some of the options. Not all farms have a full-blown Web site, but most are listed on the Internet. E-mail or call a few farms that are attractive to you. Ask questions. Talk to your friends and your housemates and get them interested. Happy eating!

For more information and to find local CSA listings, visit www.localharvest.org.

Katie Church is the CSA Coordinator at the Full Plate Farm Collective. E-mail her at info@fullplatefarms.org.