Experience, Networks, Practice: The Form and Function of Networks Among Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) Projects in Ontario

Jason Lewis

The impacts and consequences of conventional industrial agriculture have been questioned for many years on economic, social and ecological grounds. Some view the growth in the sale of organic agricultural products as a welcome sign while others see a need for broader and deeper changes in the way we produce and acquire food. In light of this, a new and growing trend in agricultural “eco-development” has emerged over the last few years that attempts to bring consumers in closer contact with local agricultural producers in a seasonal direct marketing arrangement. It is know as both Community Supported Agriculture and Community Shared Agriculture and is generally referred to as CSA.

The establishment of CSA projects on the North American landscape has come from the initiative and dedication of concerned individuals, and for the most part has remained outside of dominant agricultural paradigms and institutions. The knowledge and skill requirements for running a successful CSA are purported to be very high. In order to cope with the lack of institutional resources many farmers within the sustainable agriculture movement have turned to one another highlighting the importance of farmer-to-farmer networks.

This study of CSA in Ontario will add to our understanding of alternative agricultural models as well as the form and function of networks in one case. It will also speak to the small but growing literature on social learning in sustainable agriculture. This research uses qualitative and quantitative methods borrowed from the research traditions of Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Knowledge Systems (RAAKS).


Source
Presented at the First Annual Conference for Social Research in Organic Agriculture. Guelph, Ontario. January 2004


Author Location and Affiliation
Rural Extension Studies Program, University of Guelph, jlewis@uoguelph.ca


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