Home > What is a CSA?

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)
Is it for me? 

Community supported agriculture (CSA) consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Essentially, it is a subscription of local food in which the members are buying a ‘share’ of the farm for that season.  The CSA model helps to keep sustainable farming a viable way of life for small-scale family farms that are increasingly threatened by large-scale agribusiness. ANC’s model is a multi-farm CSA that unites several growers to feed a common community – all of you! It provides the advantages of a traditional CSA, but also highlights crop diversity, minimized risks and burden, and a more cooperative feel.

box of produceThe Veggie Box program provides a convenient way of obtaining fresh, high quality, locally grown and produced foods. Our goal is to ease the amount of effort involved with healthy conscious eating by bringing the farmer’s bounty to you. Each week, we purchase the best in-season produce from an array of local farmers, pack it into a box, and deliver directly to your workplace, or have it available for pick-up at the Allen Market Place. We source our products from local growers and producers in the Lansing area who utilize sustainable growing practices and stringent food safety measures. Therefore, we can ensure a safe and healthy product for you and your family that is also good for the environment! Each box includes a newsletter with healthy recipes utilizing that week’s produce, a bio of the farmers providing the various items, and preparation tips for featured vegetables.Thank you for supporting local food!

Here in Michigan, the second ranking state in the nation for agricultural diversity, Veggie Box members are fortunate to be offered an increasingly wide variety of produce items in their box each week.

With over 50 years of momentum building for the CSA concept, more and more consumers are finding themselves interested in CSA & seeing for themselves what it’s all about.

5 REASONS TO CHOOSE CSA:

  1. RECEIVE higher quality produce at a better than retail cost. Fresh and healthy in a way that pleases the taste buds and the budget. 
  1. KNOW WHO and WHERE your food comes from. Increased transparency and trust.
  1. SUPPORT local farmers. Stimulate the local economy and boost small-scale farms success with upfront commitment.
  1. BE PART of a growing community. Encourage positive culture and connection.
  1. PROMOTE sustainability. Lower your carbon footprint by reducing packaging and transportation of fresh foods.

IS CSA RIGHT FOR ME?
Before signing up for a season of CSA, it’s important to know your preferences and what you can commit to. To help evaluate, try asking yourself and/or your household some of the following questions:

  • Will I enjoy preparing homemade meals on a regular basis?
  • How will I handle new or extra produce?
  • What is my availability? Can a friend or neighbor fill in for me if I’m gone?
  • Am I ok with potential risks that I take with farmers regarding produce availability due to environmental or other related factors?

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If you can answer ‘YES’ to the questions above, then CSA sounds like a great option for you to consider! If you answer ‘NO’ to more than a couple of the questions, you may have a better experience supporting a Farmers Market as opposed to a CSA.

WHY CHOOSE THE VEGGIE BOX AS YOUR CSA?

  • CONVENIENCE
    The Veggie box offers two different distribution options: pickup at the Allen Market Place, or complimentary delivery to your workplace if you have six or more members and are within the city limits (ten or more members are needed when you are outside the city limits).
  • QUANTITY & DIVERSITY
    Not all CSA farms offer the same produce amounts and availability. Choices to consider include:

    • Personal selections – Though your produce is chosen and ready for to go, we have a “swap table” (switch out something you don’t like with something you do) for those who are picking up at the Allen Market Place.
    • “Add-On” options such as bread, eggs, beans, meat, cheese, coffee, honey, etc.
    • A wide variety of fruits and vegetables, sourced from a variety of local farmers.
  • PAYMENTS
    There are three payment options for Veggie Box:
  1. Lump Sum- Pay your whole balance at the start of the program by check or credit.
  2. Split Lump Sum- Pay your produce balance in two installments. The first half payment is due upfront, and the remaining balance is due partway through the season. Due to the ordering procedure for add-ons, full payment for Add-Ons is due with your first installment.
  3. Weekly SNAP Payments- Pay at the point of pick-up for your share. This payment option is only available to individuals who pick-up their Veggie Box at the Allen Market Place. A $45 deposit (payable by check or credit) is due upfront.  The $45 deposit will be forfeited if you drop out mid-season; otherwise deposit will be applied to the final weeks of the Veggie Box season. Weekly SNAP payments are not accepted for add-on items; the full cost of the add-ons is due with the deposit. You are responsible for paying for each share, even if you miss a pick up. SNAP can only be accepted at point-of-sale (not in advance or after).