Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency
key words: ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada
Sales of organic foods have grown at an annual rate of 20 percent or more since 1990, making organic farming one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture. This rapid growth is all the more impressive because, unlike conventional agriculture, organic farming is not heavily subsidized by taxpayers dollars. The rise of organic agriculture is consumer-driven, not subsidy driven, and indeed organic farmers market their food directly to consumers much more frequently than conventional farmers. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an innovative and resourceful strategy for connecting local farmers with local consumers, while also developing a regional food supply and strong local economy.
By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. In this way, consumers create a relationship with a farm, and they receive healthy, organic food from farmers that they know. Below is a link that gives a partial listing of CSA farms. It is a nice web site, and you can search by State, but there are probably many other CSA farms that are not included on the list.
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/