“Food producers + food consumers + annual commitment to one another = CSA and untold possibilities.” -Robyn Van En
The concept of Community Supported Agriculture was first modeled in Japan when, in 1971, a group of women concerned with the use of pesticides and with the increasing consumption of processed foods cooperated with local farmers to ensure the consistent supply of local, healthy and fresh food. This food movement was known in Japan by the name teikei, meaning “partnership” or “cooperation.” The more philosophical definition of teikei is translated as “food with the farmer’s face on it.” Robyn Van En, the woman known for bringing the concept of teikei to the United States and, in collaboration with Jan Vandertuin and John Root Jr., naming it Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) takes this definition a step further. As she sums it up: “food producers + food consumers + annual commitment to one another = CSA and untold possibilities.” This, I think, says it all.
For more information on the history of Community Supported Agriculture and its various models, I recommend the following links:
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“CSA in the Mid-Atlantic Region: Results of a Shareholder Survey and Farm interviews,” a report written by Lydia Oberholtzer through the Small Farm Success Project
