Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) involves a group of people willing to commit to paying a farmer for a weekly box of locally-grown vegetables (and sometimes fruit) throughout the season, with the philosophy of bringing consumers closer to where their food is coming from.
It also cuts out the middleman – something lots of farmers dream about.
While still a relatively rare concept in Ireland, Irish Country Living profiles three farms leading the way of change.
Leaf and Root, Loughrea, Co Galway
Last year, Fergal Anderson and his partner Emanuela set up a CSA scheme on five acres of Fergal’s parents’ 30-acre farm near Loughrea.
One of the main reasons was to earn some extra income, because although they were selling their vegetables at local markets and supplying restaurants in both Loughrea and Galway city, they weren’t receiving financial subsidies, which hit their profit margins.
This is a CSA scheme that is literally finding its feet (the first delivery of vegetables was made in the first week of June 2015), and Fergal says there were some challenges around the new venture.
“Probably the hardest part was finding members,” he says. “Having no middleman is great, but it means you are doing your own marketing. Facebook and handing out flyers to local businesses were great for getting the word out.”
Lately, the couple has also started doing farm walks, which they say have been invaluable in terms of letting potential members see exactly where their food is coming from.
“That’s the lovely thing about CSA,” says Fergal. “People create a real connection with where their food is coming from and some are even inspired to come and help us out. It’s a wonderful way to reconnect with the land.”
So far, Leaf and Roots has approximately 17 members signed up to the scheme, with shares costing €17.50 a week, based on average prices per week over 30 weeks.
Fergal says the box is actually worth around €22, but the need to bring new people on board encouraged them to lower the price.
Looking forward, Fergal is hoping to see the scheme expand and is keen to work with other farmers in the area.
“There’s a neighbouring sheep farmer in the area and he grows autumn carrots. We grow spring carrots, so it would be great to collaborate with him and maybe even see if he’d be happy to sell some of his lamb through the scheme.
“The more farmers we can get involved in this CSA project, the more people will find out about it and, hopefully, our member base will grow.”
Derrybeg Farm, Celbridge, Co Kildare
Vegetable grower Nathan Jackson from Celbridge was involved in a form of CSA scheme before he had even heard of the concept.
About four years ago, Nathan started growing vegetables in his grandparents’ back garden, which he sold in boxes to people in the local area.
“I was only trying to make a bit of money,” he said. “But one day I heard about CSA from a customer of mine who suggested we start one. After a couple of years of planning between ourselves and four others, we managed to make it happen.”
After a trial period of trying to get access to some land, Nathan is now the proud vegetable grower on a leased one acre of a 10-acre farm owned by the county council near Celbridge in Co Kildare.
Since selling the first box in May last year, the team behind Derrybeg Farm has 33 families involved and 41 shares (orders per week) altogether.
Scheme members can expect any amount of a possible 45 different varieties of vegetables per week, depending on the season.
“At the moment, we are growing all sorts, from tomatoes, beetroot and broadbeans, to potatoes, carrots and celery. The list goes on,” Nathan says.
Asked what tips he can give to CSA schemes just starting out, Nathan says it is very important to have a good working group of people who can meet up regularly to discuss the logistics and practicalities of it.
“The more people you can get to invest at the beginning, the better. Land access is also very important. It’s ironic that in a country where land is so important, it’s next to impossible to try and find a piece of land to rent. Nobody wants to let anyone encroach, which is understandable in terms of farmers’ fears over scheme eligibility and so on. We were lucky to get the land off the council in the end. Without that there would be no vegetables, no members and no CSA scheme.”
Community Harvest Group, Skerries
The farmer at the heart of the CSA scheme in Skerries is Paddy Byrne, whose family has farmed in Blackhills for over four generations.
Rosaleen McMenamin and Bronagh Ni Dhuill of Sustainable Skerries, a transition town founded in 2009, approached Paddy in 2010, asking if he would be interested in getting involved with a CSA project.
The farmer was delighted, and over a glass of orange lemonade in the August sunshine, the deal was sealed.
In 2011, its first year, the CSA attracted 30 members – 15 of which were lost by the end of the season.
“We just found people were getting slightly overwhelmed by the experience,” Rosaleen says. “They missed the experience of going to the shops and picking out their own vegetables and planning their meals in advance. Plus, with the CSA being season-dependent, families could be getting the same vegetables for weeks at a time.”
However, they bounced back, and four years later the CSA once again boasts 30 members, 18 of whom are long-term.
“We find that families are the most likely to sign up for this scheme,” says Rosaleen, “as most parents take the job of feeding their children good food very seriously. So they love the farm open days, when they can see exactly how Paddy is working and the children can see exactly where their food is coming from.
“It’s also good for them to see how hard the farmer works to grow the food that ends up on their table. That’s the best thing about the scheme – the farmer is appreciated properly for all the work he does and gets a proper return.”
This scheme offers a small and large box system for €10 and €15 respectively, and customers have the option of picking up their box at Paddy’s farm or at the local food market.
“Paddy is very good in that he’s flexible with pick-ups. If someone isn’t able to collect their box on a Saturday, they can contact him to make alternative arrangements.
“It’s that human touch of the CSA that people really appreciate.”
What is a CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture is an alternative, locally-based economic model of agricultural production and distribution.
How do I get involved?
Derrybeg Farm has a list of current CSAs in Ireland in a blog on their website. You can access this blog post at http://derrybegfarm.ie/community-supported-agriculture/
How do I set one up?
Setting up a CSA requires a farmer, land access and a group of people willing either to contribute to inputs or buy produce on standing order or direct debit from the farmer for a set period. There is no umbrella website for CSAs in Ireland, so local notices, meetings and other small-scale avenues are best for deciding whether it would be viable to set one up in your local area.