Two things you can do to learn about community-supported agriculture (CSA’s):
#1 — Volunteer for Produce Pick-up at Stearns Farm
From mid-June-October Edwards Church brings fresh produce every week from Stearns Farm CSA on Edmands Road in Framingham to the Hope Food Pantry in downtown Framingham. Anyone can sign up to pick up the food on a Friday afternoon and make the delivery to the pantry on Saturday morning. The farm is in a beautiful, historic part of Framingham, and this job can be completed by all ages. For more information, contact Mary Memmott — 508-202-2229 or memmottm@gmail.com. Or you can go ahead and sign up for a week at this link.
#2 — Learn about the first CSA in America and its African-American roots
Depending upon which source you consult, the beginnings of community-supported agriculture in the United States are often traced back to a few farms in New England in the 1980’s. This article from Modern Farmer tells the deeper story – one that goes back to an African-American agricultural professor named Booker T. Whatley, who encouraged Black farmers in the 1960s to develop what he called “clientele membership clubs” of customers who would pay up front to help farmers plan for their growing season. He was also a pioneer in regenerative agriculture, long before it was “hip.” As farms like Stearns know well, and Booker T. Whatley explained to Mother Earth News back in 1982, “The clientele membership club is the lifeblood of the whole setup. It enables the farmer to plan production, anticipate demand, and, of course, have a guaranteed market.” We recommend you read the entire article linked above to learn more about this fascinating and under-told history.
From the Green Team
By Mary Memmott