By Lisa Carolin
The Chelsea area has all sorts of options when it comes to getting fresh vegetables and other fresh foods, and you can learn about some of the area’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m.-noon at a Meet and Greet CSA Fair at Agricole, located at 118 N. Main St. in downtown Chelsea.
You’ll have the chance to interact with the owners of CSA farms to answer your questions as well as to sign up with a farm for the upcoming season.
“Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, directly connects consumers and producers to help create a more profitable and transparent local food system,” said Emily Griswold, manager of the Chelsea Farmers Markets. “CSAs have been around for quite some time and have had to adapt to changes in the market, such as the prevalence of subscription boxes, customer preferences, and a pandemic.”
The list of CSA farms planning to attend the meet and greet include Jacobs Fresh Farm, Tantre Farm, Goetz Family Farm, and Good Neighbor Farm.
Griswold says it’s easy to participate in a CSA:
1.) Consumers purchase a CSA share at the beginning of the season. There are many different models.
2.) Farmers use up-front payments to cover the cost of seeds, tools, and other inputs at the start of the season.
3.) Consumers receive regular distributions of vegetables, fruit, meat, or other farm products once the season begins.
“CSAs give folks a chance to eat seasonally, closing the gap between farm and fork, and there are many benefits for both producers and consumers to participating in a CSA,” said Griswold.
For more information, go to www.chelseafarmersmkt.org.
