CSA is a unique model of local agriculture whose roots reach back 30 years to Japan where a group of women concerned about the increase in food imports and the corresponding decrease in the farming population initiated a direct growing and purchasing relationship between their group and local farms. The largest cooperative network in Japan is called the Seikatsu Club. Local chapters of this club can involve thousands of people and support up to 15 farms. As of January 1999, there were over 1000 CSA farms across the US and Canada. CSA is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food.
Supporters cover a farm's yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season's harvest.
CSA members make a commitment to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Members help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season. Becoming a member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown and those who grow it. In North America, there are four types of CSAs.