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What MAY be in your share this week:
(you can click on each vegetable to learn more!)
Dear Katchkie Farm CSA Members,

Like karaoke, ramen, and whatever this is, some of the best ideas in the world come from Japan. Included on that list of inventions is the community supported agriculture (CSA) model which originated in Tokyo during the 1970s. In response to the news of mercury poisoning among residents living near a polluted lake, over two hundred Japanese women approached local dairy farmers to ask them to produce their milk without chemical or synthetic inputs in exchange for an entire season's worth of financial support. By contracting directly with customers, the farmers gained a greater sense of financial security and received a higher return on their milk than selling wholesale.
 
Interest in this model soon spread throughout Japan to include cleanly produced eggs, meat and vegetables. It was not until the mid-80s that word of the Japanese model reached the United States and was adopted by Robin Van En, a farmer in Massachusetts. Van En's Indian Lane Farm was the first American farm to fully be supported by the CSA model, and acted as an example for countless other young farmers. Today, different versions of the CSA model can be seen throughout Europe, North America, Asia.