20100803 agchat csa information

The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. Want to support this great web site? Shop in our catalog for things you can't find locally!

Farmers’ markets have been around for a long time. However, today’s farmers’ markets are more complex than ever. In the past, whole fruits and vegetables were the primary items sold; now, food is processed, cut open to be displayed, and given as samples to entice purchases. With the increased complexity of the product offerings at farmers’ markets, health departments have become more involved in ensuring food safety. This publication offers information to market masters and vendors on keeping consumers safe by examining food safety regulations.

USDA's National Organic Program regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced.

Farmers' markets are markets, usually held out-of-doors, in public spaces, where farmers can sell produce to the public.

Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. The methods of industrial agriculture are technoscientific, economic, and political. They include innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, the application of patent protection to genetic information, and global trade. These methods are widespread in developed nations and increasingly prevalent worldwide. Most of the meat, dairy, eggs, fruits, and vegetables available in supermarkets are produced using these methods of industrial agriculture.

Community-supported agriculture (in Canada Community Shared Agriculture) (CSA) is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, and sometimes includes dairy products and meat.

Farmers’ markets have been around for a long time. However, today’s farmers’ markets are more complex than ever. In the past, whole fruits and vegetables were the primary items sold; now, food is processed, cut open to be displayed, and given as samples to entice purchases. With the increased complexity of the product offerings at farmers’ markets, health departments have become more involved in ensuring food safety. This publication offers information to market masters and vendors on keeping consumers safe by examining food safety regulations.

USDA's National Organic Program regulates the standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced.

Farmers' markets are markets, usually held out-of-doors, in public spaces, where farmers can sell produce to the public.

Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. The methods of industrial agriculture are technoscientific, economic, and political. They include innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, the application of patent protection to genetic information, and global trade. These methods are widespread in developed nations and increasingly prevalent worldwide. Most of the meat, dairy, eggs, fruits, and vegetables available in supermarkets are produced using these methods of industrial agriculture.

Community-supported agriculture (in Canada Community Shared Agriculture) (CSA) is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, and sometimes includes dairy products and meat.