Just because vegetables aren't growing outside right now doesn't mean that the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers are just sitting around.

A big thing that CSA growers are doing now during the winter is looking at seed and equipment catalogs. These growers need to order  thousands of dollars worth of seeds, not to mention supplies such as potting soil, roll cover, tractor tires, greenhouse plastic, you name it. So the winter means a lot of time in the office.

At the end of February, some greenhouses are getting fired up to start the longer growing produce. Then in March and into April, the transplants will be started in the greenhouse. By the middle of April, depending on the weather, farmers will get into their fields and work the soil for the first time. 

“They're also working to adjust to industry changes post pandemic,” explains Tess Romanski,  Communications and Development Manager for the Fairshare CSA Coalition. “Two big changes we’ve seen are the surge of customizable shares and the use of home delivery services.”

Additionally, market shares have witnessed substantial growth. This allows consumers to shop for their produce on-site or at farmers markets and choose what they want versus receiving the traditional CSA box.

Just because vegetables aren't growing outside right now doesn't mean that the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers are just sitting around.
A big thing that CSA growers are doing now during the winter is looking at seed and equipment catalogs. These growers need to order  thousands of dollars worth of seeds, not to mention supplies such as potting soil, roll cover, tractor tires, greenhouse plastic, you name it. So the winter means a lot of time in the office.
At the end of February, some greenhouses are getting fired up to start the longer growing produce. Then in March and into April, the transplants will be started in the greenhouse. By the middle of April, depending on the weather, farmers will get into their fields and work the soil for the first time. 
“They're also working to adjust to industry changes post pandemic,” explains Tess Romanski,  Communications and Development Manager for the Fairshare CSA Coalition. “Two big changes we’ve seen are the surge of customizable shares and the use of home delivery services.”
Additionally, market shares have witnessed substantial growth. This allows consumers to shop for their produce on-site or at farmers markets and choose what they want versus receiving the traditional CSA box.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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