CSA Box

Colourful, organic and fresh produce is available in a weekly UBC Farm CSA Box

The UBC Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program provides members of the campus and broader community with a weekly box of fresh, organic produce from the UBC Farm. The CSA program also allows students to learn firsthand about this innovative production and marketing system.

What is a CSA Program?

It is a partnership in which members pre-pay in the spring to receive a weekly box of produce throughout the growing season. CSAs are one of the fastest growing forms of direct marketing in North America. They help farmers by providing income early in the season when startup costs are high and by guaranteeing a market for the farmers’ produce. Members benefit by receiving a regular supply of fresh, nutritious produce, learning what can be grown seasonally in their region, and by becoming more connected with the people who grow their food.

Why did the UBC Farm start a CSA Program?

Our CSA program is one of the marketing outlets for produce grown at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. The UBC Farm provides a unique experiential learning environment that directly benefits more than 3,500 UBC students each year. As part of a functioning, production-scale farm, our CSA provides an example of one marketing strategy farmers are using to achieve economic viability. Who can participate? The CSA program is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public. There were a total of 45 memberships available in 2012.

CSA members can opt to have their produce delivered through a student-run bike delivery program

Inspired by the success of other student-driven CSA initiatives at universities such as UC Santa Cruz and Michigan State University, the UBC Farm CSA program provides valuable  experiential learning opportunities for staff, students, and volunteers. The diversity of crops and management strategies used at the UBC Farm provides fertile ground for student and faculty research into low-input and environmentally sound agricultural techniques. The CSA also helps to fulfill the farm’s goal of engaging the wider community in its food production system. Involvement in the CSA program is an opportunity to follow the season in the pacific northwest and to taste a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are suited to the local climate and growing conditions. You may be surprised by what can be grown here!