Chelsea Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an exciting partnership between Chelsea residents, Stoneledge Farm, and Hudson Guild, a non-profit settlement house serving the Chelsea community in Manhattan. The CSA allows New Yorkers to buy affordable nutritious food and support a local family farmer at the same time. Hunger Action Network has provided technical assistance to the Chelsea CSA to help it become a unique CSA that is committed to making its membership accessible to people of all income levels through food stamp payments, a revolving loan fund, a sliding scale, and low-income stipends.

While CSAs are diverse, the typical model is one in which a CSA farmer sells shares of his/her crop to CSA members in the winter and spring. Members typically pay a lump sum to the farmer for their shares of produce. This pre-season income covers start-up expenses such as seeds, supplies and maintenance of farm equipment. The farmers then harvest and distribute to the CSA members about once a week at the farm or neighborhood site throughout the summer and fall. The Chelsea CSA was founded in the Spring of 2000 with the help of Just Food. Just Food linked the CSA with Stoneledge Farm, a NOFA certified organic family farm that is operated by the wonderful farmers Deb and Pete Kavakos, located 2½ hours north of NYC in South Cairo. Chelsea CSA members collect their shares of freshly picked produce every Tuesday from mid-June to mid-November, at the Hudson Guild . Weekly shares of produce vary and typically include 8- 12 vegetable varieties; enough to feed a family of 2 or 3 people. Uncollected shares and leftover produce are donated to the Children's Center at Hudson Guild and to Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen which provides food to over 1,100 people each day. CSA members can also buy fruit and meat shares. Chelsea CSA has a goal of making 30% of its shares available to low-income members, at a price that is affordable and with a payment plan that is feasible. There are four main methods to achieving this goal:

Revolving Loan Fund: The CSA received a small grant from Hunger Action and established a revolving loan fund. The fund was needed to address a dilemma that several low-income members were unable to pay a lump sum at one time. The fund (approximately $4,000) is used to pay the farmer upfront on behalf of the low-income CSA members. The members can then pay back into the fund every two weeks in smaller, more manageable payments.

Food Stamps: CSA members also have the option of making payments with food stamps. NYState specifies that food stamps can only be used to pay in biweekly installments for a CSA, not a lump sum. The revolving loan fund is necessary to allow for the initial lump sum payment to the farmer, and then biweekly food stamp payments replenish the fund.

Sliding Scale: A two-tiered membership rate exists so that higher-income members subsidize the share price of lower-income members. Discounted shares and payment plans are available for those with family incomes under $25,000, people who receive food stamps, live in public housing or have other extenuating circumstances.

Low-Income Subsidy Funds: Chelsea CSA is occasionally able to subsidize their share price for low-income members. Just Food has provided subsidies in the past. This year, the CSA was able to receive funds through the Citizens for New York City. JOIN US!!! To become a member of the Chelsea CSA, contact Susannah at Hunger Action at 212-741-8192, ext 3#, or go to www.chelseacsa.org

For more information about other CSAs in New York City, contact Just Food at 212-645-9880 or go to www.justfood.org. Just Food provided training to Hunger Action to help start CSAs outside NYC. If you?re interested in starting or joining a CSA outside NYC, contact Hunger Action.

Hunger Action sincerely thanks MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger for their grant support, which enables us to work with groups like the Chelsea CSA to ensure that New Yorkers can use their Food Stamps at CSAs and through other innovative measures.