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3/1/1990 - Community Supported Agriculture by Arthur Getz

INS ITFUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS AAG Washingtn D Community Supported Mar Pel Bird Martn Executive Dreetor Institute Crrent Worl4 Affairs Whee House West Whee Street Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter After having begun fellowship rather unconventional fashion beginning USA I final relief ordinary I found valuable connecti I I experiencing Japan When working organic farmn groups Tokyo I often attempt partnership model mutually beneficial direct linkages between farmers consumers export Doubts occasionally surfaced about other cultures would manage these arrangements degree cooperative spirit mutual understanding doubts particularly strong about approach taking homeland Live Free Die independent minded culture The search produced unexpected answers Dot sense groups U S started operating community supported agricu arrangements number places including New Hampshire Alas I dallied doubt these CSA inspired Japanese example European sources through consciously transplanted model places Switzerland Germany The 4iscovery began mention I ought visit farmer Wilton New Hampshire ooperatve arrangements local communi I there November Trauger Gr Kazar Regina stayed nside farmhc shared little while I vsted farmhands animals place We Trauger second return lecture Quebec You Quebec different tradition Britfs5 peasant shows farms organized Arthur Getz Institute examn1ng Ssues agict cross ultual pevsper SM1etimofCutWorldAfros eCrmRogFox wovidlong feHowMp leoummgyogulmmfiveoumi eUSmmsdmutio Enw Crme efimmissbufim mividuamdfodafiom AAG Groh fresh farmlands northern Germany probably forties farmer ruddy complexion field walking sincerety Speaking pleasure intensity crest subjects practicing writin aboub enhanced imaginative forceful drawing parallels history Our conversations visits numerous junctures arlcIture might taken different The Germanic influence voice coaxes listener interrogative naturally English should conversational device Trauer biodynamic farmer Germany years sellin produce under biodynamic Demeter label The biodynamic approach original outlined lectures given Austrian philosopher clairvoyant Rudolph Steiner His probably better known Waldorf pilosophy education these aspects overarching weltanchauun Anthroposophy Biodynamic farmin become unifying spiritual orientation armers ardeners several parts world articulated philosophy methodology blends cosmic mundane aspects compostin timin planting observances around seasons offer opportunities rituals reinforce thinking beyond borders reductionist science broaden circumference toward spiritua science Trager married Alice American shared interest Biodynamic farming Anthroposophy having studied Seventies center interests Emerson Collee Sussex England She completed degree International Ariculture University California Davis Wi Witon Chosen Beula Emmi woman means inspired start boardin school based S einer ideas about education The school prospered faculty started havin children eventually needed primary school What emerged attractive alternative educational system close Boston Nashua Manchester other Yupple fiefdoms community expanded families drawn toward combination rural settin special schooling The setting provided conditions biodynamic agriculture although soils climate particularly favorab Because unity purpose community school collective sharing operation approachable In become pattern CSAs recipe Waldorf school collective concern children nutrition safety cational benefits working contact Nature created right experiment community collective support In section entitled New Roads T _i_eynamic HerberT principles guiding individual intitiatives progress blodynamic movemenZ AAG Land human beings possibility maintaining destroying pursu economic The power authorities older times regulate taken money individual rights governmental ectives The modern ecological crisis partly result chane There rarely harmony between requirements sustainable agriculture demands society Yet before h_istory become obvious people actually necessary steps preserve improve fertility should those cultivate In place authorities decision individua groups basic principle practice In larger context situation success farmers ultimately depend relationship other sections society Koepf continues initiatives practice should commodity The longer treated private It cannot inherited security The individuality socia logical sense underlying image The emphasis bringing farmers nonfarmers share spiritual social goals workin relationship These people jointly responsible capital means production dsposa those Land trusts common element CSA theme although there arrangements involve private under others combine The Wilton example hybrid Two farms essentially donate their lands community One trust administered foundation which houses center handicappe persons allows group acreage crops The other Alice Trauger which privately owned loaned CSA project The latter includes about acres pasture forest acres vegetable crops There variety animals apart dlife there ducks chickens sheep small milking Devons The normal culling herds f1cks provides community butchering locally The operating costs entirely supported pledges member households regular payments return supplied small store which serves stribut produce The additional store processed items butter cheese produce quantities In December I another person connected concept community supported agriculture attending conference Organic Farmers Assciaton Council Leavenworth Kansas Rod Shou executive irector Biodynam Associstion Amer there other AAG representatives organic farming organizations Although conference establish common marketing defini organic Rod I shared strong interest other route promoting alternative agriculture through establishing direct connections between consumer farmer groups He figure startup CSA Meeting those serendipitous connections because organizing workshop communoity supported agriculture extended invitation several people arollnd country already practicing started similar arrangements It course corrections shift plans I I group people The workshop January KimbertoD Pennsylvania small village vicinity Valley Forge lovely pastoral landscape I East Coast northern Chester County It stimulating gathering brought heart community erest I known outside Japan Here assortment Southerners High Plains farmers New Englanders West Coasters familiar ideas experimenting evolving specific solutions their local situations While event sponsored Biodynamic Association limited solely groups connected philosophy movement Something unite these people their common however which Steiner inspired vision shared spiritual philosophical belief participants workshop identified critical success sustainabillty level community involvement Trauger Groh contributor Kimberton because experience working concept Germany shared thoughts group I tried transcribe taped sessions charm power words addition accent flavorful intonation difficult capture paper What follows sampling exchange The build group naturally consists mostly friends locally whoever wants start something I recommend always anywhere where think there somewhere where there people where there nucleus community otherwise desert disappear somehow mankind I heard cases people disappeared deserts Midwest beautiful people close other If offer something realize people today under special extreme conditions these people community So little briefcase commute often AAG S their workplace terrible people though reality I always farmers gardeners enormously privileged because usually something other people cannot privilege eventually allow ourselves little money If approach other people offer something absolutely unusual cares their innermost needs Now eivilisation coined shaped principle something because something money immediate exchange money bring create product people suffer suffer In people society their labor somewhere certain hours produc certain pieces certain amount money their hearts something really human I interest innermost being something tradeable spiritual quality I cannot really And create community farms should consciousness could create oppor where people enormous chance people visible tensions donate labor And principle should speak thihk about starT community garden community feeling worthwhile support clear realise cannot exchange money against produce should eliminate doesn doesn carry spiritually commu We realize organism thing wisdom where learn where contribute something value itself beyond produce And organism train ourselves explaln explain wonderful thing hands share And conclusion provide living their because cannot their someone relationship larger community eliminate money produce But really should happen provide carry place create organism inner plrltual ideals possible someone works ideals doesn think anything sometimes funny thing working nature something really oyous farmers AAG people gardeners I always about farmers because nature privilege really certain gardemers sometimes gmumpy And Because normal market gardening whenever lettuce think money either farthe farmes market gardener different relationship produce somehow eliminate community really provides support ideals organism without thinking money And think money eventually Nature respond because bring Nature Nature intentions Nature wisdom Now civilization A merica extreme exchanging labor against money makes Tf school classes because early childhood children taught dishes money aceted ractice spoils I think miserable thing education cannot raise children matter money And farms first especially little children The parents point easier already working money having chance working without money great privilege But ourselves right attitude these things important otherwise other people cannot right feeling Trauger proposes stages farmers consumers through community supported agriculture reality Vision plans financial SUpport communication review community together farmer community really happens interact first thing winter community members understand organism Is people together understand organism secial place organism genera these trees certain things cannot everything And should share people second proceeding discussion farmers their See develop Ideal always develop paint beautiful picture customers friends place should thirty years there should several apples trees planted share vision impotat prono Trauer vision wshin people clser vision That annual distills boils budget The budgeT realization spitual ideals world That budget We realize spirtua ideals spending We cannot witho spending money source That second The third group because shares vision knows steps physical labor money support happen But preparation cannot reall their emotions enter process third helping participating supporting expenses implement And fourth durin people learn details occur better understandin together mentioned before walks three people really We terrible trouble place planted potatoes harvest BUT permanently potatoes every month understand happens If cannot understand cannot tolerate always explain reasons cannot other people financial giving reason everythin fourth The fifth create ituation looking achievements failures measurig ideal These really community What I really express offer something entirely radically civilization fouled people Could knowledge Nature working Nature present something cannot attract people share costs labor everything these problems labor How people physically We reglar people while people people And something wrong emergency calls People They extinguish burns somewhere But Emergency squishing parties another CSA veteran chimes there carrots And It seems sychological thing One really attractive AAG Response But still comes financial I everybody comes nothing Trauger We dealin people covering costs those people cover costs these costs And costs arise That interesting Nature concept biodynamic organism Nature reproduces itself surplus without input needn anything production And another factor people human being human being regenerates itself First I sleep morning I fresh again Children I eventually factors Nature Man regenerate totall Theoretically bring factors together would That important because secret economy farming forest industry doesn In happen doesn anything mankind Nature would cooperate properly And people nderstand I explain I about hours vegetables summer Winter community about families makes about hundred forty adults these hundred forty adults hundred bours needn spend hours everyone every would Someone there We wouldn maohlney because could spade spade would lower nvestment hundred forty people gging hundred people digin So could eliminate without spending people could their their income outside donate these hours three hours would hardly costs would remain People shouldn People reason there costs ourselves because there We other people supported those people cannot money We community community where where nearly everyone noome there people three people working ncome because business income others So I wanted excite excited abouT thinki looking thins people grateful ideas their neighbor costs NEXT Community Supported Agriculture Nuts Bo Received Hanover