A dependence on large-scale farms and the industrial food
chain is the norm in the United States with few Americans
relying upon small-scale, alternative forms of agriculture to
stock their kitchens (Pollan 2007). Approximately 12,500
farms (0.6 percent) in the US engage in community supported agriculture (CSA) (USDA 2007a). Emerging in the
mid-1980s, this model of farming consists of a cooperative
agreement between farmers and members with the latter
paying a seasonal fee to the former in exchange for fresh
produce, and other farm products, on a weekly basis (Lang
2010). Unlike the dominant food system, CSA is predicated
on local food production and consumption with an
emphasis on organic and environmentally friendly practices, while sharing risks between producers and consumer