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Organic
Food Providers
| COMMUNITY
SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE |
 As
we struggle against genetic engineering and all the dangers it poses
to our food and environment, it is critical that we build alternatives
that can guide us out of this morass of industrial agriculture.
One alternative that is fast growing in support and popularity is
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
CSA is a movement that brings together urban
residents with local farmers in mutually beneficial partnerships.
Through these partnerships urban dwellers are guaranteed fresh organic
produce by purchasing shares in farmers' harvests at the start of
the growing season.
Their partner farmers, in turn, are ensured
adequate funds to meet their seasonal expenses. No longer are these
farmers required to both grow our food and spend long hours marketing
it as well. By focusing their energies on farming they can devote
the needed time to tend their crops and properly nourish the soil
without 'time-saving' chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.
Through the CSA model, small and medium size
organic farms can survive and even flourish outside the 'agribusiness'
paradigm.
For information on the Sixth Street Community
Center CSA serving the Lower East Side and East Village go to www.sixthstreetcenter.org
For a complete listing and information on all
CSAs in New York City go to www.justfood.org
For CSAs in Westchester, Long Island, or anywhere
else in New York State see the Northeast Organic Farmers Association
NY www.nofany.org
For CSAs in New Jersey, see the Northeast Organic
Farmers Association NJ www.nofanj.org
For CSAs in Connecticut, call the Northeast
Organic Farmers Association CT at (203)484-2445.
For CSAs anywhere in the U.S., go to www.csacenter.org
or contact The Robyn Van En Center at (717)264-4141.
 Farmers
markets are usually open-air locations where farmers can sell their
crops directly to the public. Farmers markets are essential because
they serve as an outlet to bring together rural farmers and urban
consumers. They allow consumers to meet and interact with the farmers
on a personal level. Since these are the same farmers that have
produced the food for sale, farmers benefit from valuable feedback
from consumers. In exchange, consumers benefit from access and exposure
to agricultural issues facing farmers in their region.
Other benefits for consumers include both access
to local, fresh produce, and reduced cost due to produce being sold
directly by the farmer. "Middlemen" dealing with packaging, marketing,
and long distance transportation are eliminated. Supporting Farmers
Markets therefore reduces the environmental costs of agricultural
production. The social importance of Farmers Markets cannot be understated
since it allows for people from diverse backgrounds to interact
and build community.
Resources for finding Farmers Markets:
For New York City go to www.cenyc.org/HTMLGM/maingm.htm
For any state in the U.S. see the USDA National
Farmers Market Directory at www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm
For a listing of organic restaurants in New
York City and other cities around the U.S. go to www.satyamag.com/restaurant.html
Green Maps offer a comprehensive inventory of
a city's eco-businesses and culture, sustainable developments, organic
providers and many other resources that benefit our quality of life.
They directly connect residents to these sustainable choices.
For the Green Map of New York City and other
locales go to www.greenmap.org.
| ADDITIONAL
ORGANIC RESOURCES |
Organic Consumers Association www.organicconsumers.org
Organic Farming Research Foundation www.ofrf.org
Greenpeace www.truefoodnow.org
Organic Trade Association www.ota.com
California Certified Organic Farmers www.ccof.org
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