A description of the conference/proceedings: "In CSAs, consumers buy
"subscriptions" to local farms, and farmers are able to plan ahead with
prepaid customers. Four farmers experienced in operating CSAs discuss their
farms and the history and philosophy behind Community Supported Agriculture
in these proceedings from a 1993 conference at UC Davis. Includes
bibliography and resource guide. 37 pp. Editor: Gerry Cohn. Price: $8.00."
Good luck with your story! There is another conference about CSAs happening
in San Francisco Nov. 12-14. Contact farmcsa@aol.com for information. Let
me know if we can help you further (SAREP has had articles about CSAs in our
quarterly newsletter, Sustainable Agriculture" as well.)
Barbara Wetzel
>>Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 21:42:38 -0400
>>From: mooreprods@aol.com
>>To: san@nalusda.gov
>>
>>I am currently writing a story on subscription farming for the TV show
>>"Market to Market" seen on about 100 PBS stations. Seeking any info you
>>may have on the numbers and national scope of what appears to be a trend
>>towards subsc. farming, i.e. subscribers (mostly urbanites) signing up for
>>weekly or bi-weekly bags of fresh produce (veggies, fruit, herbs...) from
>>a farm (usually organic) for the season. This is not to be confused with
>>CSA (Community Supported Ag) which has shareholders who share risk and
>>reward (bounty) with the farmer and in some cases can review financial
>>documents. CSA in its purest form would be a group of people hiring a
>>farmer to grow food for the group as is done in Japan. Subscription
>>farming is sometimes referred to as being at the opposite end of the
>>scale, or is removed from the CSA umbrella entirely because the
>>relationship between farmer and subscriber is like a magazine subscription
>>-- you get the mag for as long as you subscribe and you have no direct say
>>over its production (you get what you pay for). MOOREPRODS @ AOL.COM
>>
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Barbara Wetzel
UC SAREP