Check out our latest news and upcoming events.
Find out about our two-day, in-person training in July and book your place
Next in-person training this July – Setting Up and Scaling Up Your CSA with Ed Hamer
We’ve just launched the first of this year’s CSA Network two-day, in-person training courses designed for growers, organisers, and landworkers who are ready to build rooted, community-powered food systems. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your existing CSA, this course offers the tools, insight and inspiration to take your next steps with…
How a CSA farm in the UK raised £350K in community investment
At our Annual General Meeting last week, Laurence and Adele of Soul Farm gave an informal presentation about how their farm converted to a cooperative and ran a community investment campaign that raised £350k in community shares. The video can now be viewed below or on our YouTube channel (subscribe for more CSA content), complete…
Annual General Meeting + How to raise £350K in investment
The CSA Network UK AGM is coming up! All members are invited to join us on Tuesday 8th October at 3-5pm. Only CSA farm members, however, will have voting rights. We’ll cover the usual AGM bits, keeping you in touch with the work you’re supporting and then we’ll talk about accessing vital funds for the valuable work you’re doing! Network Co-ordinator…
Meet some of our new CSAs
Following on from two successful previous schemes that ended last year, this spring the CSA Network UK launched a new programme to provide support to CSAs in the process of getting off the ground. Thanks to Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust we had funding for six places on the programme but with so many exciting new…
Double the land used to grow fruit and veg
We have backed an open letter coordinated by the Soil Association to the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling him to back and scale-up British fruit and vegetable farming. Along with other farming and environmental groups, influencers and TV presenters we have sent the letter asking the Prime Minister to double the land used for…
Land Matching
We are part of a working group investigating the viability of a new Land Matching service for England which will bring new entrants, landworkers, landholders and landowners together to open up more space for farming and growing. The CSA Network UK, Shared Assets, The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture, The Landworkers’ Alliance, Tamar Grow Local community interest…
Our demands for the new government
This is a prime moment to write to your local elected candidate (no matter which political party they are part of) to tell them all about the numerous public, social and environmental benefits of CSA and encourage them to provide more support. You can even invite them to visit your CSA farm if you are connected…
CSA Member survey 2024
A snapshot of CSA in the UK and its impacts are summarised in this one pager here. Here we share a more detailed overview of the 2024 member survey results, thank you to all those who took part. A survey sent to the 190 CSA Network UK member farms in January 2024 had 78 responses.…
New research finds more farmers trying CSA
Almost 40% of farmers said they were trying out Community Supported Agriculture to diversify their farm. Research of 100 freehold farmers across the UK, from wealth manager Investec Wealth & Investment, have found that farmers are diversifying traditional arable, dairy, or livestock farming to use their land in new ways to increase or supplement their…
Joint letter to new government – support UK horticulture
Restoring the resilience of UK fruit and vegetable production. Along with the Landworkers’ Alliance, Soil Association, Sustain, OF&G Organic, Growing Communities, Regather, The Wildlife Trusts, Propagate and the Better Food Traders we have sent a letter to Steve Reed, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We are asking the new…
The current picture of CSA in the UK
A snapshot of CSA in the UK and its impacts CSAs have many public, social and environmental benefits. Our latest member survey and research summarises some of these numerous benefits here. These include: There are around 230+ CSA farms in the UK, 190 of these are our network members. These CSAs produce fresh, agroecologically grown…
CSA in the Big Issue – support British farmers
“We shouldn’t be reliant on foreign food,” prime minister Rishi Sunak posted on social media recently. “Buy British.” But his own government have made it harder to do so, farmers and campaigners have warned. Our Network Coordinator Suzy Russell in the Big Issue this week is fighting the case for small-scale farms and CSAs. “The…
General Election 2024 – ask your local candidate to support CSA!
With less than 2 weeks until election day on July 4th, we have prepared a letter that you can send to your local candidates to ask them to support Community Supported Agriculture in your area. Please use this letter as a template to write to local candidates. You can find out who your local candidates…
New funding available – Green Community Grants
Schools and community groups can apply for up to £2,000 to improve local green spaces. Deadline 30th June. They want to fund practical projects which benefit both people and planet health. Priority will be given to projects that: Examples of green projects could include: This is not an exhaustive list and other project ideas to improve…
Community growing space available in York – apply soon
A 4 acre council owned greenfield site has been sat vacant for some years and York Council are currently interested in hearing more about community growing proposals to take place on it. Conversations have started but essentially they are looking for someone to spearhead and lead on this project. There is local interest in developing the site…
CSA start-up and scaling-up course September 2024
We are pleased to announce that Ed Hamer and Chagfood will be running their eleventh CSA start-up and scaling-up course in September 2024. The course will build on the first-hand experience they have gained in establishing their own CSA’s over the past ten years to provide the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence for you to…
More support for small farms and market gardens in England
Soon small farms and market gardens will be eligible to apply for the DEFRA Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). This was previously only available for farms larger than 5 hectares. The SFI will also be open to new entrants who previously did not meet the requirements for the previous Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). The 5 hectare+…
The Organic Growers Gathering 27th-29th September 2024
We are excited to be sponsoring the Organic Growers Gathering 2024 27th-29th September 2024 at the Hardwick Estate, South Oxfordshire. Cultivating skills and knowledge with the organic growing community. The gathering is for small scale fruit, veg, herb and flower growers, land workers, crafters and more. Whether you’re a weathered master of the soil or…
CSA UK on BBC Countryfile
The power of CSA features on BBC Countryfile. Our CSA Network UK board member Charlotte Barry at Camel Community Supported Agriculture (Camel CSA), North Cornwall, featured on Countryfile, talking about growing to organic principles and in an agroecological way to protect nature and practicing no dig methods to not disturb the soil. They also discussed…
The Agroecology Learning Collective (TALC) has launched
TALC is a new UK-based collective of agroecological trainers, mentors, advisors, centres of learning and demonstration farms that work together to share and deliver the skills and knowledge needed for a regenerative future. TALC aims to drive collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the sector, building regional, national and international links between teachers and learners, stimulating the…