#black farms matter

February 26th is CSA Signup Day!

What is CSA Signup Day, you ask? It’s our favorite thing, a made up holiday which celebrates farms and they way local food producers enliven the local foodscape and the economy. It seem that around the end of February is the time that most people are signing up for CSAs so why not throw a party?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture which means community members invest directly in their local food producer up front before a seed is in the ground. The customer gets a steady supply of seasonal local veggies at a great price. The reason that this is so important is because farmers invest a lot into producing a highly perishable product and, without buyers up front, can face major challenges at harvest time. They buy seeds, mushroom spawn, baby chicks; they get the truck tires changed; they fix the greenhouse all before you ever set foot out the door to the farmer’s market. CSAs help spread the risks and benefits of agriculture out over the entire community keeping farmers afloat and bellies full.

What better time than now to mention the connection between CSAs and Black History?

That’s right, like so many things, CSAs have a black person to thank for existing. Booker T. Whatley, the American farm genius and professor, created and perfected the model that changed the game for small farmers. In his book “How to Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres” Whatley presented a blueprint to help the average farmer overcome the common obstacles of a notoriously harsh industry.

“…The clientele membership club is the lifeblood of the [farm]. It enables the farmer to plan production, anticipate demand, and, of course, have a guaranteed market. The farmer has to seek out people—city folks, mostly—to be members of the club. The annual membership fee, $25 per household, gives each of those families the privilege of coming to the farm and harvesting produce at approximately 60 percent of the supermarket price…one of these 25-acre farms should be able to support 1,000 member families, or around 5,000 people…[The farm] should be located within 40 miles of some metropolitan center; that’s pretty much a prerequisite for setting up one of these farms…” Booker T. Whatley

Those are the written words of an Alabama farmer published several decades before the European and Japanese farmers who are often given credit for making CSAs popular in the US…weeeeeeird. No, it’s not weird. It’s systemic but you can change all that!

Here are ways you can celebrate CSA Day’s Black History

1)Join a CSA Operated by a Black Farmer

The Legacy of Booker T. Whatley lives on at these DC area farms and you can join them today:

Good Sense Farm’s Wild Food CSA - Whether you are a CSA verteran or a newbee we highly recommend joining our CSA. The shares are made up of delicious veggies from local farms, cultivated mushrooms and foraged edibles. In yoru box, you get the makings of a delicious journey to the edge of the wilderness and back. Pictured above was the haul from our first month’s share with wintercress, baby greens, several types of mushrooms, heirloom fish peppers and turnips. Recipes included. Join here.

Rainbow Hill Farm CSAFarmer Gale’s CSA is wonderful and we love her strategy. Here’s what makes it unique:

Instead of bogging you down with more of the same old produce, we grow the stuff you won’t find anywhere else (think Asian greens like mizuna and tat soi, turmeric, ginger, and over two dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes) and our deliveries are always a manageable size. No more waste, no more monotony. And we promise we’ll never leave you hanging with a basket of mystery produce. Each week we’ll share recipes, tips, and tricks to help you make the most out of your bounty.  

Community Farming Alliance Never fear, I have word that the farmers of CFA will announce their CSA plans soon! in the meantime, Three Part Harmony Farm is selling Veggie Shares! Get yours today.

5 a Day CSA - Farmer Vicki makes sure to put the most accessible healthy options in the weekly wellness box she puts together.

*If you are not in the DC area, this list might not be the most helpful but there are some resources out there for how to find farms in your area like Local Harvest. 

2)Read about it!

Natasha Bowens, author of The Color of Food wrote this great article in Mother Earth News about Whatley and they also published his small farm plan here too. Also, if you want to get me his book as a gift, it’s right here on my wishlist.

3)Tell the story to everyone you know!

How you do it is up to you but we all have a duty to set the record straight!

Happy CSA Day!