FAQs
What is a CSA?
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CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.
As Barbara Kingsolver commented in her book Small Wonder, "Americans have [developed] a taste for food that's been seeded, fertilized, harvested, processed, and packaged in grossly energy-expensive ways and then shipped, often refrigerated, for so many miles it might as well be green cheese from the moon."
A CSA offers the opportunity to challenge this - to buy and eat food that was grown by a locally based farmer, minimally-packaged, and is grown in ways that support the health of the planet.
To join a CSA individuals or families commit in advance to buy (mostly organic) produce from a local farm over the growing season. The members' advance payment helps to support the farmer's season start up costs, which are usually significant. In return, produce is delivered once a week to a central pick-up location, where members rotate as volunteers to set it out for pickup. Usually there are subsidies for people who are low-income and produce that is left-over is usually given to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
A CSA is a small-scale but effective way to confront some of the global challenges of pollution, land degradation and poor nutrition. And by their nature, CSAs are platforms for strengthening community and for volunteer leadership development.
The CSA movement began in the United States when Robin Van En introduced the CSA concept in 1985. The movement has spread throughout North America and has gradually come to include some 1,200 CSA farms.
What makes Jewish CSA?
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Hazon CSAs follow the traditional CSA structure with regards to weekly vegetable delivery and a strong commitment to supporting local agriculture. And like other CSAs, Hazon CSAs work to build community and educate its members about food, nourishment, and small-scale organic agriculture.
What makes the Hazon CSA program different is that it is a Jewishly-rooted CSA. Hazon CSAs provide a platform for synagogues and JCCs to offer outstanding educational programs within and outside of the CSA community. The Hazon CSA provides members with a unique opportunity to engage in Jewishly-focused education and have access to a great Jewish community. The intersection of Judaism and contemporary food issues provides an exciting opportunity for learning and growth. Through Hazon CSAs members can expand their understanding of what it means for food to be kosher – food that is not only “fit” for us, but “fit” for the Earth.
What is Hazon CSA?
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The Hazon CSA program began in 2004 with a community on the Upper West Side of New York City. The name we selected was Tuv Ha'Aretz. The name suggests a double meaning: Tuv Ha'Aretz is both good for the land and the best of the land: good for the land because it encourages and supports small organic famers who grow their crops using non-destructive methods on agricultural land near the city that would otherwise be threatened with development, and good of the land because the produce-often picked the morning of delivery!-is fresh, green, sweet, pesticide and chemical free, healthy, beautiful and delicious. We renamed the program in 2009 to Hazon CSA -- but there are some communities that choose to retain the name Tuv Ha'Aretz due to their long history with the name.
If I'm not Jewish, can I participate in a Hazon CSA?
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YES! We warmly welcome both Jewish and non-Jewish members.
How many Hazon CSA programs are there?
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Click here to see the most current list of our over 40 communities in North America and Israel.
How do the prices of CSA, supermarkets and health-food stores compare?
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One question that consistently comes up among new CSA members is, "well, is it a good deal?" In some respects, this is not the best question to ask, because purchasing a CSA share is about so much more than saving money. It's also about supporting and enabling a local family farmer, feeding yourself and family pesticide-free food, and making food choices that help change the world.
But on the other hand, how could the question not come up?Hazon CSA member at Ansche Chesed, Rande Bryzelak took the share lists from three different distribution weeks, and priced out the equivalent produce at Fresh Direct, The Food Emporium, and Fairway Market in New York City.
The results he found were that The Garden of Eve's organic vegetables costs $465 for 22 weeks, or $21/week. In each case, the weekly price of Hazon CSA produce cost less than comparable vegetables at the other supermarkets, which ranged from $24-$33 for the equivalent produce.
Is all Hazon CSA produce organic?
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The majority of the small farms that participate in Community-Supported Agriculture programs, including the Hazon CSA program, do use organic growing practices. But becoming a USDA certified-organic farm can be cost-prohibitive for some farms, which means some farms might not be officially “USDA-certified organic,” but are still growing food organically.
Additionally, certain crops are difficult to grow organically in some regions (e.g. tree fruit in the Northeast). In these cases, a farmer might choose to use low-spray methods, which means he or she sprays the lowest amount of pesticides possible, while still reaping profitable yields, for these particular crops. When joining a Hazon CSA community, feel free to ask the site coordinator about the farmer’s growing methods.
For more information on how the USDA defines the term “organic” click here.
Is it better to buy local produce than organic produce?
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One of the primary rationales for organic agriculture has always been that it protects the environment. However, even though it may have been grown in ways that are better for the earth, organic produce that is imported from far away still has negative impacts on the environment, especially in the form of pollution from fuel for transportation and the energy for refrigeration.
Local produce has many benefits. In addition to traveling shorter distances from farm to table, supporting local farmers ensures a market that enables local farms to stay in business. This in turn helps to protect local farmland. Buying local produce not only feeds us and sustains the livelihoods of local farmers, but preserves the beauty of the countryside - a beauty that is quickly disappearing.
Therefore, the most ideal situation is to buy local and organic. However, it is important to be aware that many other local farmers are in the process of reducing pesticide use and learning the skills of organic growing; they especially need support as they make the not-so-easy transition to a form of farming that requires a high level of knowledge and constant learning.
How does a Hazon CSA benefit your Jewish Institution?
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A Hazon CSA energizes your members.
It strengthens your members’ connection to the synagogue/JCC by giving them a new way to participate in community life; improves the health of your community by providing fresh, organic produce; and spurs a new dialogue about what kosher, or “fit,” food is, and thus renews members’ sense of excitement about what it means to keep kosher.
A Hazon CSA brings new individuals and families into your synagogue/JCC.
It opens a welcoming door to unaffiliated Jews and offers a non-traditional, non-threatening way for newcomers to get involved in your institution.
A Hazon CSA strengthens your institution.
It places your institution at the cutting edge of contemporary food issues that are so important to your members and prospective members; offers new marketing and fundraising opportunities as you reach out to prospective members and donors who care deeply about health, environment, and food issues; is a platform for a range of innovative education programs for adults, families, children, and singles—from cooking classes and farm visits to “green” Shabbat onegs; creates opportunities for inter-faith community-building as people of all faiths join your Hazon CSA and “break bread” together; builds a new cadre of lay leaders as core group members are trained to run the program; raises your institutional profile through new media coverage. The Hazon CSA program hosted by Congregation Tifereth Israel was featured on the front page of the Washington Post.
How do I learn more about starting a Hazon CSA in my community?
Click here to see our FAQ to learn more about starting a Hazon CSA in your community.
