Community supported agriculture
We work under the community supported agriculture (CSA) model, which the CSA network defines as:
“A partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared.”
For us, this is about people coming together to take back the power and ownership of where their food really comes from. The community supports us through the direct connection of membership of the farm – either vegetable or community membership. Our partnership between grower and member is built on trust, transparency, sustainability and shared values.
Sharing the harvest
All those who want to receive a regular veg box from the farm must sign up for vegetable membership and commit to the whole year. You will receive a regular ‘share’ of the harvest (weekly for 6 months then fortnightly for 6 months). Although we will always aim for this to be six to eight items, type and quantity will fluctuate with the seasons and what is happening at the farm and with the weather.
When there is plenty of produce, we’ll provide extras for you to add to your box, or a larger portion of a longer-lasting veg to keep at home, and at other times box contents will look slimmer and we ask members to take a year-round view.
This is a more traditional way of eating with the seasons, supporting regenerative agriculture, and a simple but radical act against the culture of year-round availability of veg in the supermarkets that is flown around the world. We understand we’re asking for trust and commitment and we’ll provide transparency, community, hard work, care and love for the veg in return.
We also provide a personal touch as we’re a small operation – we know all of our members and love it when you communicate with us about the veg or the farm (or you’re welcome to quietly just collect your veg too).
Community involvement
There is also the opportunity to be part of the community support of the farm, without receiving veg. Our community members are hugely important to Common Soil. Find out more about community membership.
Many of our community members get involved as volunteers, attend events or simply want to quietly donate a small monthly amount to support positive action and change.
Running the organisation
We promote food sovereignty – this is the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through socially just, ecologically sound and sustainable methods. It is also a collective right of people to define their own systems for food production and distribution.
All members of Common Soil have the chance to have a say over the way the organisation is run and the way the food is produced and distributed, whilst we also trust the growers to work to their skills and experience. As a co-operative, we operate on a one member, one vote basis. We offer opportunities for input through our AGM, member surveys and chance to attend our Management Committee meetings. We also invite individual input, as it suits you, through getting in touch with us. We love it when people get involved.
To read more about the CSA model and other successful CSAs, see the CSA network website.