Package Three Final

(anchor)
A NEW TREND IN AGRICULTURE HAS FARMERS SHARING THEIR BOUNTY AND CONSUMERS DOING THEIR GROCERY SHOPPING IN A DIFFERENT WAY. DAILY IOWAN TV'S CRISTINA SARNELLI GIVES US THE SCOOP ON WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT'S BECOMING SO POPULAR.

(VO)
It's called Community Supported Agriculture or CSA. It's bringing farmers and locals together. These people gathered to learn more about CSAs at the sixth annual Agriculture Fair in Iowa City. This is how they work.
CSA farmers promise to deliver herbicide and pesticide free produce and plants to participating locals. The locals, known as shareholders, get a basket of fresh food delivered to their door every week over a specified period of time. The baskets can include anything from vegetables to flowers and decorative grasses.

(STAND UP)
“Beans from these sprouts will eventually end up in shareholders’ baskets, which can be between five and twenty pounds, depending on the season.”

(VO)
Consumers are becoming more and more interested in CSAs because of the organic lifestyle they promote.

(SOT)
“I would like to get into the habit of having more fresh food. Right now, I tend to go the easy route and rely a little bit too much on frozen stuff.”

(VO)
And farmers are happy to provide. Doing business with locals ensures a weekly paycheck, keeping small farms afloat.

(SOT)
“It provides the capital up front that farmers need normally to plant in the spring, so if I can get it from the consumer versus the bank, it’s always better.”

(VO)
And even more simply, CSAs create a sense of community, where farmers bring food from their home…to yours.
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CONSUMERS INTERESTED IN JOINING A CSA ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT LOCAL HARVEST DOT ORG FOR A LIST OF THE NEARSEST PARTICIPATING FARMS.