CSAs Create Much-Needed Stability for Farms

Several Northland farms are partnering with communities during this uncertain time to help support their businesses.

WRENSHALL, Minn. – Several Northland farms are partnering with communities during this uncertain time to help support their businesses.

CSA stands for community supported agriculture. Food Farm in Wrenshall has been participating in the CSA movement since 1994.

CSAs are getting a lot of increased attention during the pandemic.

At Food Farm, the summer CSA program shares have filled up six weeks earlier than usual this year.

“For us, it was really revolutionary in being able to know that we had a sale for the food that we were going to grow,” said Janaki Fisher-Merritt, owner of Food Farm. “It was going to go to waste in the field because we knew people were going to take it because we knew what we could deliver.”

Food Farm has a community of people who buy into the farm. They provide support during the beginning of the season.

Then, the farm harvests and delivers whatever is in-season as a weekly box all summer and then a monthly box all winter.

Members partner with the farm when it comes to its sustainability and financial health, and they get a safe and stable food supply directly from the farm.

Several area grocery stores and restaurants also buy food from the farm, but owners say there’s a lot of adjusting and uncertainty with that segment of the business right now.

“We’re trying to hope for the best because the restaurants we’ve worked with over the years are have been a great source of support for us as our farmers develop and we want to try to be there for them too,” said Fisher-Merritt.

CSA sales make up 50% of the annual revenue for Food Farm, including the weekly summer and winter vegetable shares.