Community Supported Agriculture and Grasshoppers
Community Supported Agriculture is the concept of people supporting a farm with a direct investment, and sharing in the return of the harvest. Their relationship with the farm, the fresh seasonal food that comes in the boxes every week, and sharing in the risks that make for a bountiful or poor harvest all connect them to the place where they live. Meanwhile, the farm family has resources and a secure market throughout the year.
Grasshoppers has improvised on this model, to offer a multi-farm, all-natural and organically grown program that provides beef, chicken, pork, milk, cheese, and eggs as well as produce. Many of our CSA farms also have their own CSAs and sell at Farmers’ Markets or other outlets. Our program provides them with a stable market and fair prices for the additional crops they can produce, creating another stream of income on the farm.
The income generated for Grasshoppers helps us pursue the new frontiers of local food opportunity, such as hospitals, schools, and other institutions. Our farmer-owned business is dedicated to building a local food economy on all levels, and we enthusiastically invite you to join us!
About the Farms
By becoming a member, you will be supporting over thirty family farms who supply the Grasshoppers’ CSA, all located in Kentucky or southern Indiana. Produce is grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Although many of the farms have chosen not to become certified organic, we know them personally and will introduce them to you, through CSA materials and farm tours. We may substitute conventional items at times if needed to fill your box. These items will always be pointed out in the newsletter. All of the meat and dairy animals are raised out on pasture and are antibiotic, steroid and hormone free.