By Chrissy Meyer
Extension to Communities
Communications Intern
Iowa -- Home to some of the best soils in the world, a great growing climate and plenty of hard working farmers. A land of plenty, right? Well, is it surprising to know that Iowa imports more than 80 percent of its food, most of it coming from more than 1,000 miles away?
Agriculture in Iowa has moved far away from the traditional family farm, which raised everything from chickens to oats to fruit crops and provided food for local communities, towards a more industrial food system. It has been said that today's youngsters may be the last generation to know the family farm. Rural communities are experiencing the great upheaval as fewer and fewer family farmers are able to make their living from the land.
Shelly Gradwell, of the Iowa State University Extension Sustainable Agriculture program, stated that in the past, Iowa grew more vegetables and fruit and was more self-sufficient. Now, with a larger agricultural focus on grain and livestock feed the state imports nearly 99 percent of its fruits and vegetables.
Iowa isn't the only place that has experienced this alarming trend. Similar trends in Europe during the early 1970s spawned what Gradwell said may be a solution, community supported agriculture (CSA), a food system that supports family farms, provides communities with locally grown foods and brings communities back together.
"CSA can't change the whole face of agriculture; Iowa will always focus on grain production, but Iowa also has a strong rural heritage and a strong value of family and community," Gradwell said.
CSA farmers produce fresh food directly for local community members. CSA members commit to a full-season growing price in the spring which, in turn, spreads the risks associated with production. With monetary support at the beginning of the season to cover costs, farmers can put their energies into growing food and, in return, members know where their food comes from and how it's grown. Furthermore, they know their food dollar is going into the local community economy where it may turn over two or three times.
When CSA was first begun in Iowa in 1995, there were only three systems in the state, but there are now 30 CSA groups statewide. Gradwell credits the success of CSA in Iowa to Iowans' strong belief in community members supporting each other.
"Plus, Iowans know the difference and value of homegrown, vine-ripened food versus foods grown not for taste but for durability and their ability to travel well," said Gradwell.
Gradwell added that CSA provides smaller scale farmers an opportunity to supplement their income selling fresh fruits and vegetables at retail prices. She added it only takes an acre of land to grow enough food to feed 20 families during the growing season, so even the smallest of farms can benefit.
The biggest benefits of CSAs go to communities. They create a direct economic and social partnership between food producers and local community members. This revolutionary idea of smaller, family-based agriculture brings people back to the land and closer to each other.
In addition, CSAs promote a community-wide effort to buy local food products, which supports not only farmers, but other local businesses. That keeps food systems close by which, in turn, strengthens local economies.
Despite the large investment required of CSA members at the beginning of the growing season, from $150-800 depending on the group, most CSAs endeavor to include the whole community in their membership. Several CSAs statewide are attempting to find ways to incorporate WIC coupons or food stamps as ways of buying CSA produce. Others have introduced work plans in which people can work for the CSA to earn their vegetables.
"It's the best food in the community. We don't want those from lower incomes to be priced out of it," Gradwell said. "CSA is not just about food, but building a sense of community that was a big part of Iowa's past; everyone in the community should be involved in that experience regardless of socio-economic status."
For more information about CSAs in your area or how to start your own CSA, contact Jan Libbey, coordinator for the Iowa Network for Community Agriculture at (515)485-6367 or Gradwell at (515) 294-0577.
Contacts:
Terry L. Besser, ISU Extension Sociology, (515) 294-6508
Del Marks, ISU Extension Communication Systems, (515) 294-9807
