Are we ready for community-supported agriculture?

What is CSA

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a social-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. It consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually have a system of weekly deliveries or pick-ups of vegetables and fruits, sometimes including dairy products and meat. Similar production and economic sub-systems are being implemented in various countries.

24 weeks of delivery from Little Donkey Farm in 2010

The farm has four types of distribution, done once or twice a week.

 If you pick up your produce from the farm, the cost is 1,440 yuan for one pick-up peer week and 2,800 yuan for two.

 The farm has set up two delivery spots: in Suzhoujie, Haidian District and Huilongguan, Chaoyang District, where pick up costs 1,600 yuan once per week and 3,200 yuan for two.

 A group of five can request for a spot delivery, which costs 1,700 yuan for one delivery per week and 3,400 yuan for two.

 Home deliveries  cost 2,000 for one delivery per week and 4,000 yuan for two.

The farm’s working members pay only 1,200 yuan for maintaining a 30-square-meter piece of land. Beijing Today found that produce from Guoren Chengxiang Hezuoshe were cheaper than those in other organic supermarkets around town.

For more information, visit blog.sina.com.cn/usashiyan or email guorenchengxiang@163.com.