Gettin' Piggy With It
Community supported agriculture programs (CSA’s) have become increasingly popular in the United States as more people begin to realize their many benefits. These programs let city dwellers escape the factory farm-to-mega-market-production line and experience farm fresh food. New evidence of the growing popularity of CSA’s can be found on a small farm north of Ithaca, New York, where The Piggery, a farm that boasts of “handcrafted charcuterie from heirloom, pastured pork,” has become New York City’s first meat-only CSA.
Pssst... where'd ya get your pig? Photo courtesty the National Media Museum.
While New York isn’t the first place one would expect a pig farm, the married team of Brad Marshall and Heather Stanford have successfully established their meat-only CSA to provide fresh pork products to the city. The couple raises 130 pigs in an open-air barn where animals have access to green pastures. Once large enough, these pigs are sent to slaughter and then made into various pork products including bacon, salami, pork chops, and chorizo.
These products are then sold back to the public through a seasonal membership fee. Members invest money up front to buy a portion of a pig. Each month, they receive cuts from their purchased pig. The knowledge that these products are being ethically produced is a primary motivator for participation in the CSA.
What are the benefits of this program and others like it you may ask?
- Deliciousness. The meat from the Piggery is said to be of high quality. Brad and Heather raise a different breed of pig than those of large factory pig farms, and the pigs are outside on pasture instead of crammed together in a factory farm.
- CSA’s are much more likely to engage in responsible production practices, which are better for the environment (and, in this case, for the pigs too).
- CSA’s support communities by putting the money spent on food back into the local economy.
- Local consumption reduces food travel miles.
- CSA’s help to develop relationships among farmers and consumers.
CSA’s like the Piggery can play an important role in reshaping the way that Americans think about and participate in the food system. Lets hope the current trend of their growth continues.
Want to find a CSA near you? Check out a comprehensive nation-wide listing.
Daniel Cooper, Intern