From [1] Local Harvest, the latest in this month’s series on CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) — how CSAs help build community as well as our local food system:

To hear Terra Bella farm manager Joe Sunderland tell it, what’s happening on their farm is the most natural thing in the world. “People are naturally drawn to want to have community,” he says. “You give them the opportunity to meet on common ground and the rest is not brainwork — it’s natural.” At Terra Bella, located in San Francisco’s East Bay town of Pleasanton, all the members come to the farm to pack and pick up their produce. People tend to come around the same time each week, so they run into the same people time and again. At some point they begin get to know one another. Some people bring their kids, and many people linger on the farm, chatting with other members. A farm play group is being established this year, where several parents will look after the kids while other parents (including the farmers) work on the farm.

The farm also has a bulletin board where members are welcome to post notices of community events or information about their businesses. “There’s lots of great referrals. These are all like-minded people,” says farmer Shawn Seufert. Members barter, too, with each other — massage for daycare, for example, and with the farm — like graphic design for produce. Terra Bella also barters with others in the community: vet services for tomatoes, and produce for baked goods.

Shawn and Joe attribute the growing community among their members to the particular structure of this CSA. Members bump elbows over boxes of cauliflower and salad greens. “It’s easy to start a conversation when you’re talking about food,” Sunderland says. “Our members already have something in common. The food brings people together, but the CSA is just the starting point.”

[2] To read full article >