Communal Food Program Increases Quality, Cost Efficiency

Every week Yael Degany, GS ’09, visits the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and leaves with a bag full of kale, carrots, cabbage, and a myriad of other vegetables.

Degany is one of many Columbia students and Morningside Heights residents who is becoming involved in community-supported agriculture, a new model of food production and distribution that aims to increase food quality, reduce food waste, and lower financial risks for farmers. This new model includes both producers and consumers who purchase shares in a farm, distributing the risks and benefits among all parties.

“I like the fact that I have a stake in somebody’s farm,” said Degany, a member of the West Harlem CSA.

In addition to the West Harlem CSA, which is managed by local residents, Columbia students recently launched two CSAs, the Morningside Heights CSA and the Roxbury Farm CSA.

The Roxbury Farm CSA was launched by Allison Powell, BC ’09, in February and quickly sold out its 70 shares. Its popularity prompted Megan McNally, BC ’10, to launch the Morningside Heights CSA, under the governance of the Columbia University Food Sustainability Project. Membership in the CSAs is open to both the Columbia and local communities.

The CSA groups partner with local farms, which lowers the cost of food by decreasing transportation costs. Morningside Heights CSA has a contract with Norwich Meadows Farm in Norwich, NY. Roxbury Farm CSA partners with a farm of the same name located in Kinderhook, NY.

Lower transportation costs make the price of CSA produce better than in the grocery store, McNally said.

“A lot of the times they’ll [farmers will] jack up the prices because it costs so much to transport some avocado from California to here,” she said. “If you’re growing apples this is one of the best areas to grow apples. Do you want an apple all the way from California if you can get it from here?”

Powell explained the most farmers are struggling because “they rely on government subsidies and have little risk management for weather variance. They also have little clue where their food is going.”

“Similarly, it’s nearly impossible for consumers to source the ingredients to most of their foods unless they consciously take part in a system like the CSA system or research every food purchase well before buying,” she said.

Morningside CSA members can buy a half-season farm share, which is eight weeks of vegetables for two people at $140 or for a family of four at $280. They can also buy shares of eggs, yogurt, wildflower honey, and chicken breast. Deliveries are unloaded at JJ’s Place each week.

Some students, like Jonathan Maimon, CC ’10, said they would be interested in joining a CSA program if they had more information. “It’s not clear what kind of vegetables you’re getting and how many vegetables you’re getting,” he said said.

Yet McNally said the movement is catching on. “People are thinking more about the choices that they’ve been making,” she said. “Before, in the past, from the ’80s and ’90s, it was totally consumerism.”

david.xia@columbiaspectator.com