his study reconsiders the purported benefits of
community found in Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA). Using an online survey of members who belong to
CSAs in New York, between November and December
2010, we assess members’ reasons for joining a CSA,
and their perceptions of community within their CSA and
beyond. A total of 565 CSA members responded to the
survey. Results show an overwhelming majority of members joined their CSA for fresh, local, organic produce,
while few respondents joined their CSA to build community, meet like-minded individuals or share financial risk
with farmers. Members reported that they do not derive a
strong sense of community from either their CSA or other
forms of community, yet they volunteered at their CSA and
appear to be engaged in activities within their communities, though the frequency of the latter is unknown. These
data suggest New York CSAs are oriented toward the
instrumental and functional models, which emphasize the
economic aspects of farming rather than collaborative
models, which foster community