New! List of CSAs and Food Co-ops in Colorado Springs

There’s an increased interest in eating locally, and one great way to do that is to join one of the many CSAs that we have in Colorado Springs.  What’s a CSA?

I’m going to borrow Wikipedia’s definition:

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is an alternative, locally-based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA also refers to a particular network or association of individuals who have pledged to support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

CSA members or subscribers pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme. Often, CSAs also include herbs, cut flowers, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat, in addition to conventional produce offerings.

There are quite a few CSA options in our area, and I’ve compiled a list of the CSA programs that I know about for Colorado Springs here.  We have joined one for the first time this year, so I’ll definitely let you know how it goes!  I’m hoping that it will help us try some new things that we wouldn’t otherwise eat.

There are also a variety of food co-ops in Colorado Springs, where you can purchase grains, beans, and other dry goods in bulk, often at big discounts.  These aren’t usually locally-produced foods, but they are a somewhat similar-type of service, so I’ve combined the list of food co-ops with the CSAs.

For future reference, you can access this list at the bottom of the main page, under a new section heading called Local Foods.

If you have any CSAs or food co-ops to add to the list, please contact me!