CSA For All - Strategies for Increasing Low Income Access to CSAs

Abstract CSA for All: Strategic Marketing for Equitable CSA Expansion Our proposal focuses on capturing and analyzing data and feedback from producers and enrollees in “non-traditional” Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs that focus on equity and food access in their operating structure. These CSA models include, but are not limited to, income-based fee structures, sliding-scale fees, “solidarity” community shares where some members cover fees for others, CSA with SNAP-integration, and CSA-adjacent box programs where consumers can choose what to purchase on a weekly basis. By understanding the consumer values, motivations, and expectations of a rapidly changing CSA shareholder profile, our organization will be better equipped to provide marketing insights and technical assistance (TA) resources to the ~2,400 CSA producers that our network serves. These insights and resources are necessary to improve consumer awareness and understanding of CSA to recruit, serve, and retain an increasingly diverse audience shareholder base. Our project has three primary objectives: 1) better understanding the landscape of non-traditional CSA programs across the US while simultaneously diversifying our network membership and leadership to effectively design appropriate CSA marketing strategies 2) evaluating consumer values and marketing practices that most influence CSA participation and shareholder recruitment/retention in different consumer segments, especially within the emerging sector of “non-traditional” CSA entities 3) developing marketing materials with the help of expert advisors to help CSA operators better express the convenience and benefits associated with CSA participation to diverse audiences