Resource Listing

The following resources are designed to help you get the information and support you need to start up a CSA, develop your CSA further or join a CSA. The information is designed for farmers, community groups and individuals.

Essential Reading

• Share in the Harvest Appendices
  
• Share in the Harvest
  

  An action manual for community supported agriculture produced by the Soil Association.

• Chagfood film
  

  Short film of Chagfood Community Market Garden which is a great introduction to CSA.

Farming and Growing

• The Community Farm planting plan
  

  Example of sowing schedule from 2011 from The Community Farm, Bristol

• Loxley Valley Community Farm Crop Plan
  

  A more extensive version of the crop planning tool developed by Loxley Valley Community Farm

• Horticultural cropping tool
  

  Spreadsheet to help plan your cropping, estimate revenue and define planting area. Instructions on how to use the tool are on the second tab.

• Hungry gap fillers
  

  Ideas for crops to fill the hungry gap in both outdoor and protected cropping systems

• Propagation for CSA farms
  

  Suggestions on how to source seedlings and plants when propagation facilities are limited

• Pig ignorant
  

  An introductory Soil Association guide to small scale pig keeping

Marketing and Promotion

• CSA Open Day poster – meat, B&W, ppt
  
• CSA Open Day poster – veg, B&W, ppt
  
• Open day Facebook banner
  

  If you have a Facebook page you can use this banner to help promote the open day

• CSA Open Day poster – meat, colour, ppt
  

  You can download this poster and print off yourself – and also edit the date and address.

• CSA Open Day poster – veg, colour, ppt
  

  You can download this poster and print off yourself – and also edit the date and address

• CSA Network UK open day – social media image 2
  

  Use these images to promote your open day on Facebook and Twitter

• CSA Network UK open day – social media image 1
  

  Use these images to promote your open day on Facebook and Twitter

Research

• The impact of community supported agriculture
  

  Evaluation of CSA in the UK, outlining the multiple benefits CSA farms provide to thousands of members, their communities, local economies and the environment. A very readable report which provides clear evidence that CSA is providing multiple benefits to thousands of members, their communities, the local economies and the environment. Published by the Soil Association in 2011.

Volunteers

• Future Farmers 2
  

  A guide to farm-based informal traineeships, to fit the gap between farm volunteering and formal apprenticeships.