The number of farms in the United States continues to slowly decline. Meanwhile, food insecurity is rising dramatically.
A report released by the USDA earlier this year shows there were 1.89 million U.S. farms in 2023 – down seven percent from 2.04 million farms in 2017. Local farmers say one way they have kept their work viable is through CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture).
In addition to the benefits for farms and farmers, they say CSAs can also address food insecurity. According to Foodlink, the rate of food insecurity in the non-profit’s 10-county service area climbed more than 3 percentage points from 2021 to 2022.
This hour, we discuss CSAs: their image and the reality that farmers describe.
Our guests:
- Elizabeth Henderson, founder and original farmer at Peacework Farm, member of the Rochester Food Policy Council, and author of “Sharing the Harvest”
- Ruth Blackwell, owner of Mud Creek Farm
