About

 

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing business model for farms in Maryland and nationally.  In a typical CSA, members pledge to help cover the anticipated costs of the farm’s production for part of or the entire season.  And in return the members receive a portion of the farm’s crops over the designated time period of the CSA contract.  The CSA model allows farmers to get needed upfront capital at the start of the growing season.  At the same time, the model allows members’ access to fresh locally produced fruits, herbs, meats, or vegetables.

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The CSA model is not without risks.  Underlying the relationship is the agreement that the farmer and the members share risks.  There is always a risk of commodity (including crop, livestock, and egg) failure (due to drought, disease, etc.) and members not receiving the anticipated upon share.  The Maryland Department of Agriculture often gets calls from CSA members who do not understand the inherent risks associated with agriculture and are disappointed when farmers are unable to deliver the anticipated CSA members’ shares.

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With that in mind, the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) and Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) partnered with Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Farm Bureau to develop materials to better aid farmers in developing their own contracts.  These materials have been developed with a Federal State Marketing Improvement Program grant through USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

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*This page and the materials on this page should not be construed as legal advice or creating an attorney-client relationship.