What is Community Supported Agriculture?
2023 Season is coming to a close! See you in May 2024
Community Supported Agriculture is a community of individuals who support a farm operation so that the farm becomes a community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.
A CSA can begin addressing consumer concern that the average distance that food travels from farm to consumer in the United States is approximately 1,300 miles. Another advantage of obtaining food locally is that the money stays within the local community.
CSA's can also help reduce waste food in grocery stores. In the United States approximately 160 billion pounds of food are wasted every year. Supermarkets account for 43 billion tons of this loss per year and more than 50% is thrown out while still edible. (A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent (2016)
It allows consumers to more closely understand how their food is grown, whether pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used or if the farmer using a more natural or organic method of pest control and nutrient management of the soils on the farm.
There are as many different types of CSAs as there are farms. The common theme of them all is to help connect consumers with fresh, local produce from farmers who enjoy growing food for people in their communities.
CSA available from May to September Interested in signing up for Firefly Farms CSA?
Meet the team
Brad Quam and Traci Bauder
Brad and Traci and the proud owners and operators of Firefly Farms. Both are U.S. Air Force Veterans who decided upon retirement that north Georgia was going to be their forever home. During the summer months, they run a small community supported agriculture business from the farm. With a degree in culinary arts, Traci and her partner Gale are opening a restaurant in historic downtown Chickamauga GA. Brad stays busy with a small cattle operation on the farm and some consulting work for the Air Force.