Community-Supported Agriculture and Organic Buying Groups Kirstin Glendinning Soil Association

CSA - What is it? A partnership between farmers and the local community…… mutual benefits reconnecting people with the land where their food is grown

CSA - What is it? No fixed model, but key characteristics: – upfront payment – access to land – business transparency No ‘average’ size: – back gardens – sub-acre plots – small holdings – 700 acre farm

Benefits to the local communities fresh food from a known source reconnecting to the land - seasonality, growing and livestock rearing skills, processing environmental benefits - fewer 'food miles', less packaging, ecologically sensitive farming, improved animal welfare local economy - employment, local processing part of a community

Benefits to the farmers secure income - improves business planning, time to concentrate on farming higher and fairer return for their products - selling direct to the public community involvement - respond directly to consumers' needs volunteer labour?

Food co-ops/buying groups The Fowl Coop and Pig Club Headingley Development Trust – Swillington Organic Farm Members pay upfront Receive 1 chicken/pork box per month, for 6/3 months (at wholesale price) Delivered to their local farmers’ market

Farmer-led CSAs Swillington CSA Leeds 160-acre, organic mixed livestock farm 2 acre walled garden 27 shares = 35 families Grower £8/hr Monthly socials & training days Core group No external funding

Community-led CSAs, on farms Just Food CSAs, New York Communities helped to find farm City distribution points Core group – recruit members, organise socials, communicate with farmer Seasonal visits to farm

Stroud Community Agriculture A community-owned enterprise (IPS) 2 farmers paid 50 acre organic mixed farm 200 members £60,000 turnover A rich community life around the farm Farm-based CSAs…consumer- led

The members are the farmers… Loxley Valley Community Farm Sheffield 5 acres rented from local landlord 20 members Pigs, turkeys, ducks, bees, veg Company Limited by Guarantee, all members are directors £26 per year membership, plus cost of share Labour shared between members on rota basis – membership cooperative

CSA in your back garden… Your Backyard Farmer, Oregon / MyFarm, San Francisco Decentralised urban farmhttp://uk.youtube.com/user/myfarmsfhttp://uk.youtube.com/user/myfarmsf Zero food miles Uses unproductive landwww.yourbackyardfarmer.com Good access Secure tenure? Supply local people without gardens with surplus

SPIN Farming CSAs Small Plot INtensive farming US$50,000 from ½ acre?! Oklahoma Food Co-op & Growing Communities, London CSA hybrids

A few more examples… Wester Lawrenceton Dairy – members lend £500, interest paid in cheese Handmade Bakery, Marsden – advance payments, local organic flour, bakers are members of workers’ coop FutureFarms, Martin, Hampshire – 12 acres around village: 3 acres veg, laying & table chickens, pigs, sheep & cattle, feeding 100 of 164 families in village

The challenges land people growers / farmers legal structures finances budgeting & business planning communication – conflict resolution

Project Outcomes 1. Increase the number and range of inspirational and successful CSA enterprises in England 70 wide-ranging types of sustainable CSA enterprises will be supported and established – both new and existing, of which 20 will be inspirational beacons of best practice, documented in case studies

Project Outcomes 2. Improve and enhance the skills and capability of existing and potential CSA entrepreneurs A programme of training and support including seminars, workshops, network meetings 30 trained CSA entrepreneurs attend the training programme and actively engaged in new CSA enterprises; A mentoring and advisory service Guides, toolkits and training materials on the establishment of viable CSA business models

Project Outcomes 3. Increased profile of and level of interest in the CSA approach at a regional and national level thus inspiring further developments A range of public profile raisers over life of project - 6 presentations ; 3 big media articles, 8 smaller articles; 20 best practice case studies; 1 inspirational end of project report

Project Outcomes 4. Increase the mutual support capacity of the CSA network An active CSA network with an ongoing mechanism for promotion, learning and support.

Progress to date Project website Database of nearly 800 names Regular newsletter Updated & newly designed action manual Cultivating Cooperatives manual National & local media coverage, including radio, tv and newspapers Approx 400 people have attended over 30 CSA promotion and training & networking events

Progress to date 40 new CSAs 15 South-west 15 South 8 Y&H and East of England 2 North

Training and Mentoring Programme July Horticultural training & networking, Kettering, Northants 14 SeptemberHorticultural training, St Kew, Cornwall 15 SeptemberRegional Networking, Future Farms, Hampshire 16 SeptemberRegional Networking, Leeds 19 September Governance training & networking, Exeter 7 OctoberRaising Community Finance, Exeter 15 OctoberHorticultural training, Abbey Home farm, Gloucestershire 31 OctoberBusiness Planning for CSAs, Sheffield 23 November Community Finance for CSAs, Sheffield January Marketing for CSAs, Leeds 27 February Building Community and CSA Administration, Sheffield 27 March Crop planning, pig and poultry-keeping, Sheffield

The team Project Manager – Bonnie Hewson Marketing & Information Officer– Amanda Daniel Project Officer – Lisa Nunn Regional Development Coordinators Traci Lewis (South-west) Jade Bashford (South) Kirstin Glendinning (Y&H, East Midlands, East England) Mick Marston (North) Horticultural advisor/training – Ben Raskin

Strategic Partnerships National Trust Plumpton Agricultural College/University of Brighton/Emerson College Transition Town network The Kindling Trust (Manchester) FFL (school CSA pilot project) Urgenci delegation January 2008, February 2010?