CSA Across the Nation: Findings from the 1999 and 2001 CSA Surveys

Posted October 2003

The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement in the United States has grown to include over 1,000 farms that are linking growers and customers in unique ways. The 1999 National CSA Farm Survey provided the first comprehensive portrait of the CSA movement in the U.S. This work was updated in a second national CSA survey done in 2001. The survey results include demographics of CSA farms and farmers, land use, land tenure, business structure, core groups, and economics of CSA farms. The overall portrait of CSA that emerges from this survey is characterized by interesting patterns of uniformity-what CSA enterprises have in common-contrasted with equally interesting patterns of diversity-how they are different from each other and the rest of U.S. agriculture.

Read the 1999 report: CSA Across the Nation (pdf file)

Read the 2001 report: Community Supported Agriculture Entering the 21st Century (pdf file)

Register Now for Flower Growers School

The Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School offers practical information on how to grow and sell flowers using organic and sustainable production practices and manage a cut flower business. It will be held February 18-19 on the UW-Madison campus. More information is available here.


CIAS in the community

CIAS recognized for work on value chains

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development has recognized CIAS and Agriculture of the Middle as "influential initiatives" working on value chains over the past ten years. Value chains are strategic alliances between farmers, processors, distributors, retailers and other partners in the food supply chain. These partners work together to deliver high quality, differentiated food to the marketplace and share profits equally. CIAS has researched and developed teaching materials on value chains. CIAS researcher Steve Stevenson contributed to two articles in the value chain issue of JAFSCD; view the abstracts here and here.

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