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Community Supported Agriculture in Santa Cruz, California, USA
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| Overview | Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) provides locally grown organic farm products to the community of Santa Cruz, California. |
| Scale | field, collective, local region |
| Location | Santa Cruz, California, USA (36.6N, 122.0W) |
| Elevation | 0 to 150 meters |
| Climate | Mediterranean or Dry Summer Subtropical (Cs) |
| Agricultural Region | Mediterranean Agriculture - H |
| Population Density | >100 persons / square kilometer |
| Principle Crops | apples (Malus pumila), plums (Prunus domestica), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), leeks (Allium ampeloprasum), onions (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum), carrots (Daucus carota), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), chard (Cynara scolymus), kiwis (Actinidia chinensis), maize (Zea mays), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), pears (Pyrus communis), eggplant (Solanum melongena), peppers (Piper nigrum), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), strawberries (Fragaria ananassa), summer & winter squash (Cucurbita sp.), mixed green leafy vegetables (various species) |
| Domestic Animals | none |
| Soils | Specific: Sandy loam General: Mountain Soils - Xeric great group of Alfisols, Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols and Ultisols (X5) |
| Natural Vegetation | Needleleaf evergreen trees (E), Douglas fir- Redwood (29) |
| Ecoregion | Mediterranean Province (H11) |
| Basic Principles addressed | Minimize Toxics, Conserve Resources, Diversify, Empower People, Manage Whole Systems |
| Page Author and Date | Chris Bley |
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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a nationwide movement unifying local consumers and farmers into communities. The CSA in Santa Cruz, California is part of the UCSC Farm and Garden and provides 80 shareholders with organic fruits and vegtables grown on a 25-acre farm on the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Shareholders pay $500 ($23 per week) in exchange for a weekly selection of in-season crops produced on the farm. Shareholders collect their weekly shares at the farm and are welcome to harvest their own herbs and flowers while there. |
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The popularity of the CSA program in Santa Cruz has increased dramatically since its start in 1995 with 16 shareholders. Current interest in CSA's in Santa Cruz and around the nation demonstrate widespread consumer concern over food quality and an interest in interacting with producers directly. Interactions between consumers, farmers and farms is an important connection that consumers are missing in supermarkets and other food outlets. CSA closes this gap. Moreover, the organic farm at UCSC also functions as an education center, accepting 40 students for a six-month Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture program, supporting the extension of CSA methods to other areas. |
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Minimize Toxics The organic growing practices desirable to CSA consumers eliminate the use of materials that harm the environment, health of farmers, farm workers, or consumers. Conserve Resources Bank debt is kept to a minimum as shareholders invest in the future success of the farm and its products. Diversify The need to provide a "market basket" to consumers encourages farmers to diversify their production to include multiple species and varieties- there is a direct connection between diverse production and market success. Morever, CSA's are themselves an alternative market for farm products. Empower People CSA encourages people-centric development by unifying the consumer and the farmer where their food is produced. Manage Whole Systems Connections between the farm and the community strengthen with CSA programs. |
