CSAs are thriving during pandemic
Farmers hope they’re remembered after COVID-19 crisis ends
Ola Creston has been running a CSA from her Berks County farm for over a decade, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Lehigh Valley last year, demand for the service skyrocketed — and she wasn’t alone.
“Last year was a whole different year for us and every other CSA farm that I know,” said Creston, co-owner of Taproot Farm near Shoemakersville. “I think it was really across the board. The general population was looking for a food source they could count on, as well as a healthy food source.”
CSA stands for community supported agriculture, a popular practice with produce farmers across the region. Residents pay ahead, buying shares of crops harvested later in the year, generally picking up a fresh box of assorted produce each week through the summer and fall.
As the pandemic caused residents to forgo packed grocery stores in favor of open-air markets or contactless pickups and deliveries, CSA farmers around the region saw massive increases in sales, interest and wait lists for their programs, many said, and that popularity seems to be continuing this year.
But as new coronavirus cases decline and the vaccine becomes more widely available, farmers hope that interest continues.
Dan Hunter, who co-owns Hunter Hill CSA in Forks Township with his wife, Katy, said the farm experienced a “windfall of sign-ups” last March.
They were already trying to increase their available shares from 165 to 180, but ended up with 190 sold by April, and finished the season with 75 people on the wait list, he said.
Then a winter CSA with 60 shares “sold out in a matter of hours,” he said.
And the Hunters’ experience isn’t unique. As restaurants limited seating and cut back on farm produce, some farmers pivoted their businesses, putting more emphasis on their CSAs.
Terry Bleiler, owner of Bleiler’s Produce Patch in Weisenberg Township, said he decided to push his CSA more last year, his second year with a program, due to the restrictions on outdoor gatherings and restaurants.
“Hopefully, we’ll get the same amount as last year; it seems like it’s going in that direction,” Bleiler said. “We’re relatively new to this, but it was a big help last year, under the restrictions we had.”
All the unknowns about the disease, along with the restrictions put in place to mitigate its spread, sent many farmers scrambling last spring.
“We were sort of in a standstill with everyone else,” Creston said. “We felt confident in the safety of the produce, but even still, in the beginning, no one knew how COVID was being safely kept away.”
The CSA became a “really solid path,” she explained. Wholesalers and farmers markets were in flux and farmers didn’t know from week to week what was going to happen, but “as long as we were allowed to work, we were going to make it happen,” she said.
Allison Czapp, director of Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley, said supply chain issues at the start of the pandemic also attributed to “a huge influx of people newly entering the local food system as consumers.”
“It really put people into this panic of, ‘Where am I going to get food?’ “she said. “There was a general sense that local food was safer food, because fewer hands were touching it and you can get it in a not boxed-in store.”
The agency saw a 153% increase in traffic on its webpage explaining CSAs, she said, from almost 3,000 views in 2019 to almost 7,000 last year.
This year, so far, seems to be another good year for CSA programs, as farmers are already seeing shares sell out.
Aimee Good, who co-owns The Good Farm in Heidelberg Township with her husband, John, said they sold out their CSA shares last year, and it seems to be going in the same direction this year.
“We had a huge uptick in our CSA shares last year as compared to the previous five years. We actually sold out in the spring, which hasn’t happened in several years,” Good said, adding they only have about 30 spots left for this year.
She attributed the surge to the pandemic, as many changed their lifestyles from eating out to staying home and cooking for themselves.
“People have been under quarantine for over a year now, and when you do a CSA for a season, it’s a big commitment, and I think it can really change your life. I think there can be a lasting effect.” Good said. “It’s really more than just a box of vegetables; it’s a lifestyle decision. That’s why we love it.”
In addition to supplying fresh food, CSAs are one way for community members to get to know their local farmers and the food they’re eating, many said.
“You build a relationship with [farmers]. It’s the crux behind community supported agriculture,” Creston said. “You’re directly supporting the farm in your backyard and, in turn, they’re supporting you by providing fresh produce during the growing season.”
And even though a CSA membership could prompt long-lasting lifestyle changes, it’s hard to say if the programs will retain their popularity as the pandemic recedes.
“I think once folks get used to eating the kinds of foods the small farms grow, they see the difference in the quality and the freshness,” Creston said. “I think we can definitely keep customers that way.”
Keeping customers is important for small, family-owned businesses, like many of the farms around the region.
But because many residents might not know much about CSAs, Creston advised them to call their local farmers directly to ask questions and find out more information.
“Chances are, they’re going to catch the farmer on the other end of that phone, and we love talking vegetables,” Creston said.
To find a CSA in your area, go to buylocalglv.org/csa.