If you are a consumer interested in connecting with and financially supporting farmers in your local community, one option is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Similarly, if you are an agricultural producer interested in producing food for local consumers through an innovative business model, CSA could be worth considering. CSA is a farm business model where consumers sponsor the farm’s growing season costs by purchasing a membership in the farm, and in return receive a share of the season’s harvest. Under this model, consumers typically purchase the membership prior to the growing season, and the farm will use the revenue from memberships on the season’s farm costs. Once the farm products are harvested, members receive a box on a periodic basis, either traveling to the farm for pickup or meeting the CSA representatives at a local distribution site. 

Interest in CSAs has grown in recent years as agricultural consumers and producers look for new ways to connect. This webinar will discuss the legal issues that are present in a CSA operation — including CSA formation, contracting with members, limiting liability, labor, issues with add-ons, and participation in federal programs.