MACSAC open house celebrates fresh, local food sources

Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition’s [1]Troy Community Farm's open house display (MACSAC) 20^th annual open house on Sunday showcased agriculture as a community building enterprise. The 35 local farms present offered consumers a chance to meet local farmers, taste their samples, and sign up to for community supported agriculture (CSA) shares.

MACSAC is a network of local farms that offers CSA membership options to local consumers. The CSA business model requires customers to purchase a farm membership before the growing season begins.

The memberships range in cost, depending on the type of food the farm produces and quantity of food the consumer receives. In exchange for purchasing a share in their farm, farmers give members regular bundles of freshly harvested food throughout the growing season.

Some farms offer worker shares, for which members exchange time, instead of dollars, for their food. Meg Kelly, farmer at High Meadow Farm, said that customers who choose worker shares often feel a stronger connection to the land their food comes from.

Erika Janik, MACSAC’s Board President of three years and CSA member of nine years, said that communities are strengthened through farm memberships. Local farmer Laura Mortimore, of Orange Cat Community Farm, presented with Janik on the basics of CSA, and suggested that when families purchase farm memberships they teach their children the value of local and often organic food.

Area leaders Mayor Paul Soglin and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi spoke at the open house and helped MACSAC ring in the 2012 growing season.

Soglin spoke on the importance of agriculture in building strong communities in Madison.  He said that MACSAC helps the community support the local economy and support access to fresh produce.

[2]Open house attendees stop to look at the MACSAC cookbook.Parisi declared 2012 “The Year of CSA” and unveiled MACSAC’s new name: FairShare CSA Coalition.

MACSAC’s switch to FairShare CSA Coaltion is a change in name only, and does not reflect an altered mission. The coalition’s mission remains to educate and provide healthy produce to the public.

FairShare CSA Coalition’s Executive Director Kiera Mulvey said that the name was a good fit for both the farm and member communities.

“FairShare CSA Coalition is a better and more clear representation of the work that the organization does in terms of providing fair food to consumers and fair prices to farmers,” Mulvey said.

Mulvey said that though attendance was slightly down from last year, the open house still drew over 1,000 people  to Monona Terrace for the afternoon.

In addition to Soglin and Parisi’s speeches, local chef and cooking instructor Barbara Wright gave a presentation on tips for using and preserving produce from CSA farms.  Wright presented the cooking tips along side the coalition’s cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini, which is arranged alphabetically by type of produce.

Mulvey said that FairShare CSA Coaltion has several events for “The Year of CSA.” 

In partnership with UW-Madison, the coalition has planned a speaker series focusing on different elements of local food, health, environment, community, and economy topics.  A food preservation workshop series will also be offered throughout the year to educate members on how to use and store their produce.  Additionally, to recognize the pioneers of the CSA model and celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the organization, FairShare will hold a Pioneer's Dinner in May.