Growing Food, Growing Community, Community Supported Agriculture In Rural Iowa.

1. Growing Food, Growing Community, Community Supported Agriculture In Rural Iowa. By Betty L. Wells and Rhonda Yoder

2. Introduction • CSA is becoming a thriving partnership on the edges of the global system. • This article looks at the growth of Community Supported Agriculture in Iowa, a rural state in the Midwest. • By 1996 there were forty CSA farms in Iowa. • In the past rural communities and family farms were synonymous.

3. The globalization of Agriculture as well as the farm crisis, shifted power from rural to urban. • In a traditionaly agricultural state, Iowa has become urban and a net importer of food. • Still, rural communities in Iowa still depend on healthy agriculture, and farm families still depend on healthy rural communities. • CSA is a way to strenghen ties to between farmers and nonfarmers in rural areas.

4. CSA Production • This article challenged the Idea that CSA members were educated rich folks who lived in cities and had different lifestyles than the farmers. • More than half of CSA’s serve rural areas and small towns. Some have all there members within a few miles. • Many conventional farm families became members because they did not have time to grow there own food, but understood the value of good home grown food.

5. The growth of CSA model farming in Iowa shows that small scale community based agriculture can work in a rural setting.

6. Values • Farmers involved in CSA production need to make enough money to continue production, but they also stressed other motives for getting into CSA, education, diversity, and a community based system. • Many producers wanted to build friendships with customers and educate people about food and farming, and pass on practical knowledge between generations.

7. Growers take pride in growing a diverse variety of crops, and providing alternative land use. • Also more than half of CSA producers are women. Often who live on conventional farms and start CSA as a way to generate income and stay on the farm.

8. Many farmers also see a divide between the producers and consumers of food and want to provide a community based alternative. • Also believe that they can change the economic situation in Iowa. “Cooperation with nature and cooperation with people.”

9. Iowa Examples • Field to Family Community Food Project. Goals are to work for local, sustainable, and equitable food systems. Also to create self reliant producers, and get wholesome food to low-income families. • Strong endorsment given to this group by Mid Iowa Community Action Agency. • FTF also gives local foods vouchers for use at farmers markets.

10. FTF also wants to bring civic clubs, schools, and hospitals into the local food network. • Expanding the reach of sustainably grown, local foods creates a market for more farmers.

11. Summary • Using CSA into daily family and food rythyms creates family and community ties based on food and farming and counters the global system of competition, homogenization, standardization, and fabrication. • CSA is sensible alternative to industrial food system.