There are a handful of CSAs locally. These farms allow families to purchase a share of the farm, entitling them to weekly care packages of organic, pesticide-free produce throughout the growing season. Each farmer arranges drop-off sites throughout the metro area where their customers can pick up the produce, or customers can pick up produce directly at the farms. The CSA movement began in the late 1980s, said Gail Kahovic, an administrator at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in East Troy, which operates a CSA called Stella Gardens. It s a way of making your food dollars count, she said.
Consumers receive food the way they want it grown and they can support small-scale farming as well.
Now, the current backlash against industrialized, large-scale farming and genetically modified food has led to a greater interest in CSAs. Each farm has slightly different arrangements some offer subscribers the chance to purchase organic eggs, fruit, free-range chickens, flowers and herbs along with vegetables. Most farms, such as Stella Gardens, allow families to tour the grounds and offer occasional festivals or family outings. But O Day asks all his subscribers at the Genesee Community Farm to roll up their sleeves and pitch in. These practical experiences will serve him well in the future, he said.