Is it to meet like-minded individuals and/or share
financial risks with farmers—activities constituting community or elements of community—or do members primarily desire ultra-fresh, seasonal, organic produce for
reasons related to health and taste, with little connection to
community? Second, are the purported benefits of community, which appear throughout much of the CSA literature, still integral to the CSA model? While some scholars
(Jacques and Collins 2003; Schnell 2007) laud the role of
community in CSA, scholarship in political science, sociology and psychology suggests community appears to be
weak. For example, in Putnam’s (2000) much heralded
study of civic engagement and community, he contends
Americans are experiencing weaker ties to community, and
people are ‘‘bowling alone.’’ Bringing together multiple
disciplinary perspectives, we seek to understand members’
perceptions of community both within their CSA and
beyond, reevaluating the CSA model.