Give the Gift of Health this Holiday Season: Join a CSA!

With collective holiday spending in America projected to exceed $650 billion (National Retail Federation), spending your money with local businesses can have a huge impact. Celebrate Buy Local Month with Local First Arizona by shifting as much of your holiday spending on gift giving and celebrations to local businesses from now through January 1! For every dollar that you spend with a local business instead of a national chain, up to four times more money will stay to circulate in the local economy to create jobs and prosperity in Arizona.

With food, it’s easy to join the celebration and buy local for the holidays. Give the gift of health this holiday season: join a CSA yourself, or gift a season’s share to someone you love!

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a produce distribution method where farmers build a network of members who share the cost and harvest for a season. Members pay up-front for a season’s worth of produce (generally, about 12 weeks). In turn, members receive a weekly “share” of the best, seasonal, farm-fresh produce available from the farm.

The contents of each week’s box vary from season to season and from farm to farm, ensuring the freshest in-season foods possible. One of the greatest consumer benefits to participating in a CSA is that you have the opportunity to try new foods and eat healthier!

Farm-to-Consumer CSAs are an effective way to directly support the farmers in your community, allowing them to keep 100% of your investment to cultivate their fields. By consumers paying up-front for their season’s share, the arrangement also ensures the farmers a stable, reliable monthly income.

So what are you waiting for? A CSA share is a win-win, and makes for the perfect gift.

May your days be merry and local, and your bellies be full and happy!