Article by Ruby Van der Wekken, Producing member in Oma Maa

Community Supported Agriculture is generally described as being about the bringing of farmers and the consumers of their produce closer to each other, in order to share more of the risks of farming and to give a helping hand to the farmer. Through this social organisation a web of mutual support is formed, a sense of community.

”…further potential to capture and bring to the forefront why CSA’s matter”

The stress in this description lies on a perceived need to help farms and farmers. This is an important need to be acknowledged and acted upon. But there is further potential to capture and bring to the forefront why CSA’s matter, which lies beyond the notion of “helping” and which reaches as far as wanting to further global justice.

The late Trauger Groh in his and Mc Fadden’s book “Farms of Tomorrow Revisited: Community Supported Farms – Farm Supported Communities” (1998) wrote this:

“As with many catch-all names, the term community supported agriculture or CSA is slightly misleading. It implies that the problem is special support for agriculture. Although it may seem a fine point, the primary need is not for the farm to be supported by the community, but rather for the community to support itself through farming.”

With this Groh throws the ball to the other side and brings to the forefront a perspective in which focus is not on why our engagement with our farms and farmers is necessary to supporting them, but rather on what our engagement with Agriculture importantly gives for (all of) us.

”…but rather on what our engagement with Agriculture importantly gives for (all of) us.”

Our cooperative Oma Maa has for years been developing its thoughts with regards to its engagement with Agriculture. In the current draft of Oma Maa’s action plan it reads that “Oma Maa is furthering an all-year-around ecological community process around good Agriculture, in which Agriculture is referring to the cultivating, developing of the land to be fulfilling peoples food as well as other basic needs, and to make good, ecological life possible.” With these words Agriculture is brought to the forefront in its fullest meaning and potential.

See also:

– Presentation of Oma Maa and its draft Action plan here.

– Funding campaign : FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – INVEST IN COOPERATIVE OMA MAA https://www.omamaa.fi/shares/

– Invitation:  Our food cooperative Oma maa is inviting for a stay in Finland, either at the Agricultural Camp in April, and/or for a longer period in Spring, Summer or Fall 2022. https://www.omamaa.fi/welcome-for-a-stay-with-oma-maa-food-cooperative-in-finland/