The U.S. based CSA model is specifically rooted in providing capital access to Black farmers in a discriminatory agriculture system.
A CSA is short for Community Supported Agriculture. The CSA model was initially created in the 1960’s by Booker T. Whatley, an African American horticulturist, professor, and farmer in Alabama. The concept of a CSA is rooted deeply in agriculture in the Black community in the United States. During the Reconstruction era, Black farmers across the South formally and informally participated in community purchasing clubs. They aimed to increase the food security of the immediate area surrounding the farm by allowing families to harvest vegetables throughout the season in exchange for an upfront cost. This model never picked up as Jim Crow laws became more strict after 1910 and many Black farmers lost their land due to racist USDA policies.
However, in the 1960’s, Booker T. Whatley institutionalized clientele membership clubs. At Tuskegee University, through his research, Booker T. Whatley advocated for the use of clientele membership clubs so Black farmers could access capital to keep their farms running throughout the season. There was a need for Black farmers to gain capital to keep farming since they were being disproportionately denied USDA loans and grants through racist systemic and individual policies. Booker T. Whatley advertised the benefits to small Black farmers throughout the region so community members could provide the cost of a season’s worth of vegetable upfront in exchange for coming to the farm to harvest vegetables throughout the season. This model of cost sharing for farmers has existed in parts of Europe before the 1960’s, the U.S. based CSA model is specifically rooted in providing capital access to Black farmers in a discriminatory agriculture system.
Now, the CSA model is used ubiquitously throughout the U.S.for small farmers to gain access to capital. The common thread is that CSAs provide funding for the kinds of farmers who otherwise couldn’t access USDA grants and loans. Now it is less to do with racial discrimination and more to do with size of the farm and what farmers grow. The USDA is more and more interested in producing specialty crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and grasses. Small farmers grow more diversified crops, usually ranging from 40-200 different kinds of varieties throughout one season. The farms that are currently using CSA’s also are smaller than what the USDA has historically recognized. A small farm in USDA standards is anywhere between 100-1000 acres or annual sales of $250,000. The USDA considered a farm that was producing less and on less acreage a hobby farm or not a real farm. Recently in the past two years, the USDA has introduced another classification called the micro farm that is anywhere between 0-100 acres.
We share all of this information and background about CSA’s with you because we hope it helps you identify your place in our local food system more. Many small-scale farmers in this region aren’t able to access resources from the USDA because of their size or income. Also because of historically racist USDA policies and land theft throughout the 1900’s, many communities of color have been disconnected to land tending practices and farming in general. For these reasons, many small scale farmers and farmers of color are not able to or want to access USDA grants and loans. This is why it’s so important for the community to show up to support small scale farmers.
We are the farmers that grow different kinds of vegetables that are more useful and interesting to us as eaters. We are the farmers that prioritize taking care of the soil, water, and environment through their farming practices. Showing up for each other outside of the whims of the system can help us create a world where we’re all taken care of. As a community member and consumer, your role is critical to support regional small-scale farmers who are trying to do amazing things outside of what the system recognizes.