CSAs Benef it Farmers and Consumers

They provide more certainty than buying and selling at farmers’ markets.

STORY BY CHRIS ARDIS | ILLUSTRATION BY SARA ORTIZ

Countless city roads in the Rio Grande Valley lead eventually to farms and ranches that serve as an escape from honking horns and urban development and provide fresh, locally grown produce and locally raised protein.

Year-round sunshine makes farmers’ markets popular places for folks in the Valley who prefer to purchase their dark green broccoli, kale picked the day before and farm-fresh eggs directly from the farmer. But there’s an alternative: CSA.

CSA is an initialism for community-supported agriculture. The CSA system has actually been around for years, but it seems to be har- vesting a growing number of members in the RGV. So what, exactly, is CSA?

Diana Padilla of Yahweh’s All-Natural Farm & Garden in Harlingen explains that, with a farmers’ market, local farmers arrive with the products of their labor, hoping people will show up to buy it. “But with a CSA member, there is a commitment between the consumer and the farmer. As the farmer, we know [the products are] already sold.”

Zulean Cruz with H.O.P.E. for Small Farm Sustainability is the project manager for Valley Green Growers Cooperative CSA. VGGC has four founding farmers offering their products and space for more. Cruz starts her explanation of CSA with the simplest concept.

“CSA is usually a box,” she says. “But that box of food is actually a share of the farmer’s crop.” Much like people have subscriptions for magazines and even vitamins, CSA members purchase a subscription in advance of the harvest and know which vegetables, fruits, herbs and/or proteins will be in their boxes. Subscriptions vary as to the size of the box, whether it’s a weekly or bi-weekly commitment, and if members pick up their share of the crop or have it delivered.

Some subscriptions, like those provided by VGGC, can be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

“If members pay $30 with their EBT/SNAP card, they will receive $30 back in ‘double-up bucks’ that they can use on more fruits and vegetables,”

Going back to this commitment between the consumer and the farmer, Padilla says pre-payment of CSA subscriptions lessens the risk placed on the farmer.

“You know your crops are already sold,” Padilla says. “You have money for seed working capital. It’s secure financial funding from your members. Through CSA, we have actually been able to grow our farm.”

There is another thing to know about the CSA system. Both individual farmers and groups of farmers can offer a CSA membership. Yahweh’s, named after God, Padilla says, because “it’s His, and we work it,” has had its own CSA since 2010. Now it is part of VGGC.

Shakera Raygoza and her husband Juan own and work the land at Terra Preta Farm in Edinburg. She is one of the founders of the Sentli Center for Regenerative Agriculture CSA, currently comprised of six farms.

Raygoza says the CSA system also relies on creative types who can provide what they refer to as “add-ons” or “value-added products.”

AVAILABLE

Csas In The Rgv

CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, (CSA) is one way consumers can directly support local farms. Connect directly with the farmer and every week your farmer delivers or you can pick up a variety of fresh nutritious food.

All CSAs have different financial structures and procedures, so we suggest you reach out to the CSA for more information.

CD&J Mini Ranch

Offers protein packs

Meat, eggs, vegetables and other locally grown products

29575 Adams Road San Benito, Texas cdjminiranch.com

@cdjminiranch_woman_owned

Nature’s Heartland Farm

Offers produce and eggs

11920 N. Mile 16 Edinburg, Texas Saturdays 10AM-4PM heartlandfarm.com

@naturesheartland

Texas Green Growers Cooperative (TGG)

Offers fresh produce and protein boxes 19833 Morris Road, Harlingen vggcoop@hopeforsfs.org

Sentli Center for Regenerative Agriculture

Offers produce and several pickup locations Contact Shakera Raygoza at info@sentli.org sentlifoods.localfoodmarketplace.com

Robert Ballinger and his wife moved to McAllen in 1997 and were surprised to find that much of the land in the RGV was dedicated to industrial agriculture. For years, they had been CSA members in upstate New York.

“I’m a strong supporter of CSA,” Ballinger said. “It creates more jobs, and the money stays here in the community. The farmer gets a greater share than if you buy their products at a grocery store, where the money has to be split with the supply chain.” Seeing CSA grow here delights the Ballingers.

“We are looking for farmers and for value-added producers who make salsas, jellies, baked goods and other products,” she says.

Raygoza shares that farmers are also looking to other Valley cities to join the city of Edinburg in aiding CSA. On Aug. 9 of this year, Edinburg adopted a revised Unified Development Code. Part of this UDC makes it easier for urban farmers to sell directly to consumers, according to Jaime Acevedo, Edinburg’s planning and zoning director.

“We had a good number of people who came in to talk to us about CSA,” Acevedo says. “Local officials listened and made it part of our UDC. Now farmers can come in and register and learn the rules.”

Cruz sees CSA as a win-win for farmers and for the community.

“It’s really helpful for the farmers. They are coming together, so there is a lower cost for marketing. You get to feel a connection with the community. For the consumer, you see where your food is coming from, and you actually get to know the farmer. Being a CSA member is good, not only for your own health but for the financial health of our local farmers.”

Chris Ardis is a freelance writer and editor living in McAllen, Texas. A retired educator, she also is a social media manager for local businesses. She loves chocolate, popcorn and Mexican food. Follow her on Facebook @chrisardiseducationblogger.

For more information about area CSAs, see the Market Guide on p. 27.