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We are a Network of Community Supported Agriculture Farms Across the UK

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and consumers.

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared.

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We’re very pleased to be hosting another round o

We’re very pleased to be hosting another round of our Masterclass webinars this winter, covering all elements of starting or scaling up a CSA. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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These events, hosted on Zoom, are led by experienced CSA leaders and small-scale producers and have a small number of participants to ensure everyone has a chance to ask questions and get involved.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The first session is next Wednesday:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds November 24th, 11am – Scaling up: Machinery, site design, irrigation and tools.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds December 1st, 11am – Finding your CSA mission⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds December 15, 11am – Crop planning, year-round growing and hungry gap ideas⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds January 19th, 11am – Business Planning and Finance for your CSA⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds February 23rd, 11am – Planning your CSA: Land access, governance and more⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Weds March 16th, 11am Engaging and maintaining members and marketing your CSA⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sign up via the link in our bio⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#CSA #starterfarm #communityfarm #landaccess #crops #agroecology

COP26: How can Community Supported Agriculture far

COP26: How can Community Supported Agriculture farms help us transition to a low carbon future? As world leaders gather in Glasgow to discuss reducing carbon emissions and preventing climate catastrophe, the spotlight is on global farming methods and their impact on the planet on which we live. The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model provides a revolutionary alternative to high-polluting and carbon-intensive ‘conventional’ farming methods. The CSA movement is a powerful model, offering a way of producing food that is kind to the planet, reduces emissions and promotes biodiversity as well as connecting citizens to the land that produces their food. 6 reasons why Community Supported Agriculture farms are crucial in our low-carbon future: 🥕1. CSAs grow agroecologically – stewarding the land for future generations and in many cases improving the environment through providing havens for wildlife and increasing biodiversity. By farming ecologically, CSAs improve soil health through a holistic land sharing approach. 🥬2. Short supply chains (CSA produce is often in the ground in the morning and in member’s houses by the afternoon) keep waste and food miles to a minimum and there is little or no packaging. Less non-renewable resources are used in production, processing, transport and storage, so CSAs have a very low carbon footprint. 🧑🏽‍🌾3. The known market (CSAs operate on an upfront subscription basis) keeps production-centred food waste to a minimum 👨‍👧‍👦4. CSAs connection of people to land increases awareness of the reasons why we should eat locally produced seasonal food (and so mitigates against climate change) ♻️5. CSAs are low carbon, connect people to food and build health into our land. 🐷6. CSAs rely on crops and products from animals which are adapted to the local environment and are integral to local ecosystems – helping to maintain biodiversity. Full link in our bio
#cop26 #cop26glasgow #agroecology #csa #carbon #agroecologycoolstheearth #biodiversity

Given #COP26 starts this week, we would like to in

Given #COP26 starts this week, we would like to introduce East Neuk Market Garden, a 2 acre, small-scale, agroecological farm and CSA located on the Firth of Forth in Fife, Scotland. They grow veg, salad, herbs and a little bit of fruit in their tree lines. They are just finishing their third year of production on the land and this year are running a 60 member CSA from late May to Christmas. Their membership is hyper local and 75% of their members pick up their shares from the farm every week, with the other 25% in a 10 mile delivery radius. They don't think they have reached capacity yet in terms of what they can produce on their scale and are looking to expand numbers again in 2022. ENMK offer small, standard and large shares to cover all different household sizes/veg eating habits and have a swap shelf/mini shop set up during pick up so members can swap out or buy extra veg. Set up by Connie and Tom in 2018/19 they are now a three person team with Neill alongside seasonal trainees and volunteers. They believe in Community Supported Agriculture because it's a vital way in helping to relocalise food systems and connect farmers with the end users of their hard work. They’re also interested in the opportunities for collaboration, regionalisation and nurturing that a flourishing CSA can provide to new entrants and farmers wanting to change models. East Neuk Market Garden
Bowhouse, St Monans (Photo of Connie and Tom taken by Elena Heatherwick) #marketgarden #Fife #agroecological

This weeks members @realveg_csa are possibly the o

This weeks members @realveg_csa are possibly the only Organic no dig CSA set in an Agroforestry system in the UK. Newly established this year as part of the new chapter at Wakelyns farm, Fressingfield, Suffolk. They are aiming for 30 shares a week, and run between June-March. This year they’ve been offering a one sized share, with a trial price of £9/week. Next year will see two sizes and different prices. They feel they are part of developing a more resilient food system by relocalising food production. They strongly feel this needs to happen, and would like to become part of an interconnected network of small local independent food producers. The pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our Global food system, and by relocalising our food production we become more resilient to the unpredictability of our future. They are Holly, Chloe and Rachel 🧑🏽‍🌾🥕🥬
#nodig #agroforestry #suffolk #localfood

Long standing CSA Norwich FarmShare is a CSA that

Long standing CSA Norwich FarmShare is a CSA that has been operating for about 10 years. They’re now based on a 2.5 acre site on the south east side of Norwich where they grow chemical free veg and some herbs for about 110 households and one restaurant. They’re still expanding the growing potential of the site, building the soil and developing infrastructure – 2019 was the first full season growing on the field. They have two part time growers Jack and Joel and a growing team of passionate volunteers. Community engagement and education are strong values and they hope that in the future they will be doing much more outreach work.
Their medium term plans involve continuing to build soil to be able to grow better crops, reduce the need for irrigation and experience less pest and disease; invest in their infrastructure; improve wages for staff and be able to pay for more person hours on the farm; pay staff to do more outreach work; improve propagation facilities and expand their delivery area through more collection points. They are also very engaged with the work of @landworkersalliance and Via Campesina, understanding that issues of racism, colonialism, global and local economics, house prices and the cost of living are all connected and influence the barriers to their success.
They’ve recently joined OOOOBY and this is the best place to go to sign up as a member. https://www.ooooby.org/norwichfarmshare @norwich_farmshare
#community #CSA #volunteers #soil #crops #chemicalfree

This week we would like to tell you about Tomnah'a

This week we would like to tell you about Tomnah'a Market Garden CSA in beautiful Perthshire, Scotland. They produce a mix of veg, cutflowers, hens, fruit, herbs and any other useful plants that they can do things with. Set up by Cristy, Sam and Judith in 2015, they and a magnificent team of volunteers been turning a bare field into busy market garden with lots of social, biodiverse, tasty, wildlife friendly, beautiful and creative things going on aswell as regular veg boxes that their members come each week to pack themselves. #CSA #perthshire #scotland #agroecology #flowers #biodiversity

Join us at the CSA Network UK AGM, happening onlin

This weeks #CSA network UK featured member is Farn

This weeks #CSA network UK featured member is Farnham Community Farm, founded in 2008, are a local vegetable growing project started by a group who felt there was a need for fresh local produce, and a healthy attitude towards the production behind it. It has slowly grown and evolved to become a 2 acre site, providing a weekly veg bag scheme which runs all year round - pesticide-free veg even through the hungry gap. They now have 3 growers as well as a host of lovely volunteers including from schools and local employability schemes. Veg grown for the community, with the community. Their fave crops to grow - fennel, broad beans, swede! 🥗🥬
@farnhamcommunityfarm #CSA #community #local #growlocal #volunteering #pesticidefree

Introducing the AGROECOLOGY RESEARCH COLLABORATION

Introducing the AGROECOLOGY RESEARCH COLLABORATION 🌱 The Agroecology Research Collaboration (ARC) is a new initiative developed by the Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA), CSA Network UK - Community Supported Agriculture, Ecological Land Cooperative, Organic Growers Alliance, and Pasture for Life. 🌱 As organisations working towards shifting the paradigm around how we produce food and use land, we recognise the important position that research has to play in doing so. ARC is therefore a collective endeavour to support and inform an increasing research interest led by, centring on and meeting the needs of agroecological farmers, growers, foresters and other land-based workers. We work and collaborate with other organisations advocating for change and recognise the potential for strengthening the agroecology movement when our efforts are combined and coordinated. 🌱 For more information on the ARC's work, and how you can get involved, head over to the page on the LWA site (also as a link in our bio) >> https://landworkersalliance.org.uk/agroecology-research-collaboration/

Plotgate Community Farm CSA is based near Glastonb

Plotgate Community Farm CSA is based near Glastonbury, Somerset and began in 2016. Their 10 acres are home to productive no-dig vegetable gardens, a reservoir teeming with wildlife and chickens, Kunekune pigs and Shetland sheep. They’re one of the largest no-dig farms in the UK and are passionate about biodiversity, low-impact farming and feeding their community. Plotgate have weekly volunteers who provide amazing support to the farm. Their veg boxes are delivered to Glastonbury, Street and villages surrounding the farm - you can find out more on their website plotgatecommunityfarm.org #CSA #nodig #veg #glastonbury #biodiversity

This weeks CSA member is Newquay Community Orchard

This weeks CSA member is Newquay Community Orchard’s CSA Market Garden which officially started up in June 2021. They have one member Canteen @ the Orchard who use all the fresh produce from their 1/2 acre no dig plot. Their amazing team of volunteers learn horticultural skills, make friends and build community, whilst working together at the orchard. They are provided by a lovely lunch from Canteen each volunteering day. They have been there for six years on the seven acre site in the Heart of Newquay. There is also a kitchen garden, forest garden, fruit orchards and wood work shops and community building and co - work space. Volunteers take home produce and can learn all sorts of skills mostly centred around living a more sustainable way. The CSA Market garden fits in so well with Newquay Orchard’s ethos and values and is a great way of showing how a truly local food system can benefit all. 🌳🌳🌳🍎🍊🍐🍏
#CSA #community #orchard #newquay #marketgarden @newquay_orchard @canteenorchard

Transition Turriefield is Britain’s most norther

Transition Turriefield is Britain’s most northerly CSA veg box scheme. Based on a croft in the far west mainland of Shetland, the community growing group has been running since 2011. The veg box scheme converted to a CSA in 2016. They have over 50 volunteers who help to produce over 10
tonne of fresh produce each season which goes out to the community through their 30 box veg box
scheme and rural shops. It’s not easy growing at 60 degrees north, but they think it’s really important that Shetland grows more of its own food, reduces the amount of fruit and veg we import and becomes more food
secure. Recently Transition Turriefield launched their own Grow Shetland project, supported by their Local Authority, to
work with individuals, groups, fresh produce. This project will increase the quantity of local food, reduce Shetland’s food related
carbon footprint and also contribute to the reduction of food poverty in the Isles. More information at www.turrifieldveg.co.uk<http://www.turrifieldveg.co.uk> #CSA #scotland #shetlands #croft #community

Are you at @landworkersalliance Skill Share weeken

Are you at @landworkersalliance Skill Share weekend? We’re talking all about CSAs and their benefits in this tent at 11am today. Join us! #communitysupportedagriculture #csauk #regenerativefarming #agroecology

How can we grow basic crops efficiently yet regene

How can we grow basic crops efficiently yet regeneratively? Join us, @organicgrowersalliance , @pitneyfarmmarketgarden, Tolhurst Organic and @glebelandsmarketgarden in this webinar exploring field-scale production. This webinar seeks to debunk the myths of #field-scale production and show how it can be done #regeneratively and #agroecologically without huge investments. We’ll look at rotation, technical issues of production, and machinery to support you in producing the staple crops economically. We will also discuss the skills required and how to acquire them. Speakers 🧑🏽‍🌾👩‍🌾
Rita Oldenbourg of Glebe Farm, Pitney in Somerset will talk about how, as a new entrant, she got tractor experience, how and why they grow staples at their market garden, and about how they are using machinery but still always keeping soil health in mind. Iain Tolhurst (Tolly) of Tolhurst Organic has been growing organically since 1976 and is one of the country's most highly respected organic growers and advisers. He grows 17 acres of field vegetables in addition to a 2 acre walled garden, supplying their own box scheme, farmers markets and veg shed. Tolly will outline basic machinery requirements, rotations and fertility building needed for growing the staples. Adam York grows organically on 8 acres at @glebelandsmarketgarden near Cardigan in West Wales after it's earlier incarnation in South Manchester. They started off growing specific crops for @unicorngrocery while the current Glebelands is testing a farmshop model of direct selling to the public in a market town catchment. Adam will talk on the challenges of setting up field scale production from scratch and making the most of your resources. #organic #CSA #farming #marketgarden #fieldscale #production #crops

This weeks new CSA member Lazy Meadow is a first y

This weeks new CSA member Lazy Meadow is a first year no dig, veganic market garden operating on a 1 acre site in Cornwall. It’s an activist-run project led by anti-factory farming campaigners Pru Elliott and Rich Hardy. Currently a CSA in formation we’re delivering veggies to households in Falmouth, Truro and Redruth on a weekly basis. #nodig #marketgardening #falmouth

We’ve been speaking to the excellent new @foodgr

We’ve been speaking to the excellent new @foodgroweracademy podcast all about CSA and how it can benefit people, producers and planet here in the UK. Share, give them a follow and listen to the latest episode!
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#communitysupportedagriculture #smallfarms #regenerativefarming #sustainablefarming #csauk

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