Community Supported Agriculture

[chris]

At the Meersbrook / Heeley meeting last night there was a discussion about Community Supported Agriculture and today I got a email about this event in Chesterfield, anyone fancy going, we could all share a car...

Community Supported Agriculture

This one is for anyone interested in food - and surely that's everyone! A FREE workshop looking at the opportunities for sustainable, local food-growing initiatives using the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. Monday 23rd March at the Friends Meeting House.

Community Supported Agriculture - a local food solution for Chesterfield
Monday 23rd March. Doors open 7pm, workshop 7:30-9:30pm
Friends Meeting House, Ashgate Road, Chesterfield

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is being successfully adopted all over the world, and provides a way for local people to connect with local farmers and producers. Customers know where their food is coming from, farmers have a more secure income, and there are all sorts of other potential benefits.

The workshop will cover:
- CSA models
- how to set up a CSA
- examples from around the world
- legal structures
- opportunities in Chesterfield

Presenters are Kirstin Glendinning, from the Soil Association, and Mark Simmonds, from Co-operatives UK.

The workshop is completely free, everyone is welcome, and there's no need to book. Tea and biscuits will be available.

If you want more information, email hello[at]transitionchesterfield.org.uk or call Jessie on 01246 234899.

Download the poster for the event here (pdf document)

Source article...

[chris]

Lots of info here from the Soil Association:

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship of mutual support between a farmer and those who eat the food they produce. It is a partnership between farmers and consumers where the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are more evenly shared.

Community supported agriculture and organic buying groups provide consumers and farmers with a range of benefits. Consumers benefit by receiving fresh, healthy food, having a connection with the land where their food comes from and how it is grown, and being part of a community project. Farmers receive a more secure income and a higher return for their produce. They have closer links with their local community and develop the potential to raise working capital and financial support.

http://www.soilassociation.org/csa

[steve]

Sounds great but unfortunately clashes with the Nether Edge film night.

It would be good to see if a similar event could be repeated in Sheffield.

[chris]

Sounds great but unfortunately clashes with the Nether Edge film night.

Damn.

It would be good to see if a similar event could be repeated in Sheffield.

Yes, I'll contact them about this.

[chris]

Craig has organised a Community Supported Agriculture Meeting in Sheffield:

Community Supported Agriculture Flyer

Transition Heeley/Meersbrook Invites you to a free workshop on community food growing.

Thursday 23rd April, 7pm, The Grapevine Centre, Northcote Rd, S2 3AT

With guest speaker, Kirstin Glendinning from the Soil Association, see http://www.soilassociation.org/csa for the Soil Associations extensive resources on community supported agriculture.

Find out how we can set up a Community Supported Agriculture scheme for:

* Cheap, fresh, healthy, local food
* Hands-on practice in growing food
* Community-owned land for days out, camping and social events

For more information contact: craig@quakerism.net

And there are some more CSA resources on the main site and a pdf flyer for the meeting people can print and distrubute.

[chris]

The meeting last night was well attended, perhaps 50 people were there and there was a good discussion and a email list has been set up to continue the discussion (of course people can also discuss it here!):

https://lists.transitionsheffield.org.u ... eeley-food

And the two talks at the start of the meeting were recorded and these and the presentations can be accessed, via this article on Sheffield Indymedia:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/ ... 28326.html

[sanman]

http://www.loxleyvalleycommunityfarm.org.uk we believe we are the first CSA in Sheffield!