What is Community Supported Agriculture?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a means of directly connecting crops produced at Taaru Askan with local consumers. When you join our CSA, you are effectively buying a share of what we produce on our farm before it is actually harvested. In this sense, CSA members not only sign up to receive shares of the various greens that we harvest, but share in the risks inherently associated with farming.
 

Being a member of Taaru Askan’s CSA means that you will receive:
 

• A ‘bag’ of fresh greens every month, which can be delivered to your home (for a small fee) or picked up at the Taaru Askan office in Mamelles. A typical bag consists of a wide variety of greens, including kale, swiss chard, bok choy, spinach, arugula, basil, fennel, collard greens, broccoli, and whatever else we have at Taaru Askan. We also frequently partner with -and support- various organic farms in the Dakar Region to provide an even greater variety of organic produce for your bag. In this sense, you will receive a wide variety of crops during the growing season. Please remember that as seasons change, so do the crops that you will receive!

• Alongside each ‘bag’ we also provide recipe suggestions. This is especially helpful if you’re looking at your ‘bag’ and wondering: what type of green or vegetable is this? And how can I eat it?

• 10% off an organized day long Farm Visit (includes transportation, traditional lunch, cultural activities and opportunity to work at the farm and harvest your own vegetables).

• One large, cotton Taaru Askan shopping bag.

• Bi-monthly newsletter that relates farm activities and events, key information on the health benefits of the products, and how to best prepare your greens. 

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The benefits of the CSA model to local farming systems -and Taaru Askan- are immense. Our CSA helps support the basic costs of running our farm. It also allows us to play an important part of the growing organic movement in Senegal. Our CSA helps us not only focus on growing and providing quality organic produce, but has also made it possible for us to build a community -of consumers and farmers- that are motivated by the environmental and health benefits behind growing and eating organic produce. For example, we are working with Senegal's top chefs to hold cooking classes for our CSA members. We also organize days when CSA members can visit our farm and learn more about organic farming in Senegal. Taaru Askan also serves as an instructional farm where Senegalese farmers, international researchers, and students can come and learn about organic farming practices in West Africa.

You are welcome to contact Taaru Askan for more information about joining our CSA.

 

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