Food is something that unites us all, so it should be accessible to us all- but unfortunately, this is not the case. This summer, Laughing Radish will be running a free 10-week CSA program to support 10 individuals/families in our community; providing them with consistent access to fresh, organic vegetables.
A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program is a very common direct-to-consumer food distribution model. CSA members pay for an entire season’s worth of produce (or a “share” of the farmer’s crops) upfront which directly supports the local farmer before the growing season begins. In return, this model allows the farmer to sustainably support his community all summer long, without having to take on debt or use savings for the initial set up costs of the operation. The farmer then gives the pre-paid produce, in the form of weekly food boxes, back to the customer throughout the season.
Laughing Radish has co-opted the traditional CSA business model to create our own “non-profit CSA” model, which allows us to offer free weekly food boxes to those who cannot afford to join a traditional CSA program. Although a traditional CSA is a wonderful model that connects people to their local food system, many members of the Ottawa community are unable to afford a CSA membership. Some reasons may include the challenge of paying for an entire season’s worth of food upfront (which is often hundreds of dollars) or simply being unable to afford the price of local, organic produce.
For these reasons, our non-profit CSA model, which we call our “Free CSA” or “Free Food Box” Program tackles food insecurity in a way that a traditional CSA does not- by making local, organic produce accessible at no cost to the individual participating.
As in previous years, we plan to support the greater Laughing Radish community through additional Instagram Food Giveaways. These giveaways will be open to anyone who follows us on social media and shares our giveaway post.
Follow us at @Laughing.Radish to see when the next Instagram Food Giveaway will happen!
Stay tuned and follow for more!
Laughing Radish 