Posted on May 11, 2020
As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off
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Images of some American farmers dumping milk, plowing under crops and tossing perishables amid sagging demand and falling prices during the deadly coronavirus pandemic has made for dramatic TV.
But it's not the whole story.
"We had a reporter call here and say, 'We want to see some produce rotting in the field and milk going down the drains,' " said Judith Redmond, a longtime farmer in California's Capay Valley, northwest of Sacramento. "And I said, 'Well, actually, that's not what's happening in the Capay Valley.' "
Redmond, a founding partner of the 450-acre, organic Full Belly Farm, is busier than ever trying to ramp up production to meet soaring demand.
From California to Maine, the movement known as community supported agriculture (CSA) is booming. Members buy a share of a farm's often organic harvest that gets delivered weekly in a box. CSA programs almost everywhere report a surge in memberships and growing waiting lists.
"The interest in getting local, fresh, organic produce just has skyrocketed during this crisis," Redmond said.
But it's not the whole story.
"We had a reporter call here and say, 'We want to see some produce rotting in the field and milk going down the drains,' " said Judith Redmond, a longtime farmer in California's Capay Valley, northwest of Sacramento. "And I said, 'Well, actually, that's not what's happening in the Capay Valley.' "
Redmond, a founding partner of the 450-acre, organic Full Belly Farm, is busier than ever trying to ramp up production to meet soaring demand.
From California to Maine, the movement known as community supported agriculture (CSA) is booming. Members buy a share of a farm's often organic harvest that gets delivered weekly in a box. CSA programs almost everywhere report a surge in memberships and growing waiting lists.
"The interest in getting local, fresh, organic produce just has skyrocketed during this crisis," Redmond said.
As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off
Posted from npr.org
Food/Chow
Farming
Agriculture
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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The largest milk producer went bankrupt. Apparently something like a 3% drop in milk consumption has made the venture unprofitable.
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PO1 Richard Cormier
Sounds like they over-reached. If 3% drop can wipe out your company. Hope someone buys it piecemeal and gets more locations operating with smaller outputs regionally versus mega corp.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
PO1 Richard Cormier - Yeah if I was a CEO and understood a 3% drop in revenue would wipe out the corporation I would have a hard time sleeping at night. I thinking farming and dairy producers face a Catch 22. Good production often leads to lower prices.
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Good for them. CSA's are a viable market, normally not big enough for large farms, but now.... Good to hear.
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