Younger Farmers Attracted To Community Supported Agriculture

The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census indicated that while the average age of traditional farmers has increased to 58, the average age of community supported agriculture (CSA) farmers is 38.

Claire Strader is the produce educator for Dane County Extension and FairShare CSA Coalition. She speculates that younger farmers want a more direct connection to their customer, and direct sales mean more money in farmers’ pockets.

“I think that younger people are attracted to CSA and to those direct-market sales because of that interaction with the customer, and also because when you cut out the middle man, the higher prices available to farmers in the direct market make it more possible to earn a living as a farmer,” said Strader.

The census indicated 52 percent of traditional farmers had another job off the farm. Strader says FairShare CSA Coalition hasn’t calculated how many of their farmers have off-farm income.

“There are certainly a number of farms in the coalition (where) the primary farmer or farm couple are doing that as their primary job and they don’t’ have off-farm income,” said Strader. “But there are also a number of farmers who have been in the coalition for a long time and are very well-established growers who do have off-farm income, at least in the winter time.”

FairShare CSA Coalition represents 50 farms, most of which are located in southern half of Wisconsin.