CSA BOX SCHEME

Slow Food Cape Town, in conjunction with the Ethical Co-Op and the Sustainability Institute, has inaugurated a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) Box Scheme from February to the end of April.

A CSA is a partnership between an agricultural or artisan producer and a group of consumers. The consumers sponsor the production of a specific crop or product at the beginning of the CSA, and during the season, the producer responds with frequent reports on that crop’s development and growth, and the consumers can visit the producer to learn more about how crop is grown, and even help with the harvest.

The harvest is divided between all the members during the course of the season. We have established a mixed organic vegetable CSA, grown by farmer Eric Swarts, which will be divided among all participants in box scheme format (i.e. every week during the season you receive a box of mixed vegetables).

The response has been extremely enthusiastic, with the scheme being fully subscribed within days of the notice going out to members.

The point of running a CSA (and a cornerstone of the Slow Food ethos) is to reconnect consumers with agricultural producers, and make urban dwellers aware of the lifecycles implicit in growing and producing the food we eat.

The Ethical Co-Op is an online cooperative which sells ethically produced food and household products. www.ethical.org.za.

The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust and living and learning centre, focusing on studies and experience in ecology, community and spirit. www.sustainabilityinstitute.net.

Comments are closed