Three generation farming

St. Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. April 2010.

A new community supported agriculture scheme was launched in Wales on the weekend thanks to the tireless hard work of organic farmer and GM-free campaigner Gerald Miles, Gill Lewis, Ailsa, Adam, Wyn & Val Buick and Darren & Rupert from regeneration agency PLANED.

The first day's work involved planting potatoes, onion, artichokes and comfrey. Members signed with an £18 donation that will be followed with a £30 a month food payment from July or so when the harvest starts.

Gerald Miles reckons that for each 50 or so households that sign up, a full time job can be created on one of the areas' organic farms. There are 800 houses in St Davids...

Community Supported Agrciculture

At a time when there's no clear plan anywhere in the UK (that we can find) that sets out what a coordinated local response to the threats of peak oil mean for food production and security, it's more important than ever that people start to act on the knowledge they have. The blogger calls not acting due to a lack of knowledge ingorance, and not acting when you have the knowledge, ineptitude.

It was heartening and inspiring to be part of discussions in St Davids that have resulted in the establishment of a new CSA scheme. CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, is an enlightened process that relocalises food production, reduces prices, improves nutrition (fresher food) and increases local jobs. Oh, and it helps to bring community together too, around shared interests and action.

Caerhys Community Agriculture has been germinated by organic farmer Gerald Miles, a pillar of community and activism and a small group of local folk. Have a read through the text below that has been sent to interested people, and notice the feel and potential impact of phrases on risk and sharing.

Caerhys Community Agriculture:

Welcome to Caerhys CA .......

Our vision is :

• a community of people sharing and supporting organic food production,  in a spirit of friendship and trust.

Our aims are :

• to produce organic vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs, and enable wider access to local organic meat, dairy products and eggs.
• to enable members to live well and eat well in an organic and sustainable way.
• to support organic farming and food production in the local area.
• to grow a community around the project based on shared work, social activity and a spirit of  friendship
• to grow in whatever way the members feel will help achieve these aims.

The principles of Caerhys CA are :

• that organic growing (of vegetables, meat, dairy products, eggs and fruit) is necessary for the best and most nutritious food for all, maintaining fertile soils and a healthy, diverse environment into the future.
• that supporting local organic farmers and producers is a worthwhile aim for local consumers.
• that co-operation, shared risks and shared benefits, and a spirit of friendship are fundamental to the operation of the group.
• that decisions should be arrived at by consensus wherever possible.  

As a Founder Member:

• I support the vision, aims and principles of Caerhys CA and will comply with the rules of the association.
• I undertake to pay a monthly share subscription of £30.00 by Standing Order at the beginning of each calendar month, beginning in July 2010 and to give 3 months’ notice of ceasing.
• I undertake to pay a yearly joining fee of £24.00, due in January annually.
• I accept the risk that there may be no return or profit on any payments I make to Caerhys CA. As a member of Caerhys CA I support the project through good times and poor.

CSA St Davids

Something much more useful than the CSI cloned TV programmes from Channel 5 happened in St.Davids, Wales UK last evening that will result in less drama and better outcomes. Gerald Miles, tractor-driving hero of the 2009 Do Lectures shared his vision for a new kind of food supply business where farmers, community and the environment benefit. For every 50 families in the community who sign up and commit to the farmers who grow their food, a farming job is created, seeds are planted, and a chain of restorative events slowly let loose that build relationships, health and soil.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes in Moray, Scotland and Stroud, England have already shown what’s possible when householders stick together. It seems that, in the long run, it’s not possible for supermarkets, communities and farmers to get maximum benefit; in the past, it’s been where we live and our environment that have lost out.

Now it’s time to turn the tables, and reclaim our food chain. A little Do? Read up about CSA, get 19 other local households together, and start a small CSA scheme of your own. Fresher, more nutritious, cheaper…



CSA dividends

CSA, Community Supported Agriculture has been around long enough for reasonable people to ask themselves "why isn't more of this happening", a feeling that was picked up at today's Soil Association conference in Birmingham:

"People are sick of being told to worry about food. They need to feel empowered. We know of lots of alternative local food systems that are sustainable, resilient, viable and principled. They may not be able to solve the global problem, but they can say: 'Nothing we are doing will stand people in worse stead.'"
Bonnie Hewson, Soil Association CSA Project Manager. The Guardian, 3 February 2010

Having just attended the monthly St Davids Eco City Project meeting, where food and CSA was a big part of our discussions, Bonnie Hewson't comments have even more resonance. Gerald Miles, one of our excellent local organic farmers (we have a good share of them down here) talked passionately about the change from his early days of farming when he employed 25 people part time on the farm to now, when he employs none, and farms holiday makers instead. A St Davids based CSA scheme with as little as 20 households paying £30 a month could make enough difference and certainty of income for Gerald's son to become a farmer rather than leave the farm to find work elsewhere. Nine households at the meeting last night said they'd sign the dooted line. We feel empowered.