3. A TRADITIONAL THEORY OF CSA SUPPLY
The supply for CSA shares is not simply a supply for vegetables, for if it were, competition from food
cooperatives, farmers markets, and local supermarkets would likely eliminate CSA farms. Furthermore, for that period
of time during each year when vegetables cannot be grown, CSA members must purchase their produce from one of
the other sources of competition, necessitates recidivism on the part of the CSA, if the CSA is to continue operations.
Therefore, a new approach for a theory of CSA supply must be developed. However, for comparability
purposes, a traditional microeconomic approach to CSA membership supply will be examined first. Equation 3.1
provides an example of how the quantity of CSA memberships produced is typically modeled.