February 29, 2020
If you are a farmer offering a CSA program in Northeast TN or Southwest VA and would like a chance to boost your business in 2020, please join us for the 5th Annual Farm Fresh CSA Fair!
Farm Fresh Appalachia 5th Annual CSA Fair- what you need to know:
Community Supported Agriculture Fairs are a great way to connect with the community, and recruit new CSA members. The fair is held in late winter/early spring giving you the time you need to plan for spring planting based on your CSA member needs. We set up “farmers market” style with vendor booths. Farms advertise their CSA options, with some offering samples of goods if available. All you have to do is show up and set up!
We market this event heavily across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, with the support of multiple partner organizations, and media outlets. In previous years, CSA Fairs have drawn between 50-150 people depending on where the event was held. In the past, events have been held in Johnson City, Jonesborough, Kingsport, and Bristol. This year we have decided to combine these smaller events into one larger CSA Fair to hopefully boost attendance and regional interest in CSA in general.
The cost to participate in the event is $20.
** Please register no later than January 10th. **
2019 CSA Fairs
Farmer Testimonials:
“We love the CSA fairs – this year’s (2019) Kingsport fair found us enough members that we really cut back on the marketing we had to do. Marketing is my least favorite part of farming, so that was a huge plus for us!” – Pollinator Produce Partners, Duffield VA
What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?
CSA programs connect individuals and local farms in a mutually supportive relationship. A CSA is a subscription to a local farm for a share of the production. When someone signs up for a CSA share, they become a member the CSA program. Farms offer different goods and different purchasing options depending on the needs of their members and the farm production goals. The traditional CSA model encourages members to pre-purchase a portion or all of their shares at the beginning of the season. This helps the farmer by providing an initial monetary boost to plant crops, and allows the CSA member to have a closer relationship with their food source. Farms are now offering pay as you go options, among others to better expand their CSA markets. If you are a farmer and would like to learn more about the various CSA models and the current regional market, please contact Rachel Wheeler, Farm Fresh Appalachia program director; rachel@arcd.org. The CSA Innovation Network is a resource hub for and facilitates idea sharing.