Shared Knowledge. Shared Abundance.
In recent years, the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model has transformed the family farming space. Members buy a share of the farm’s production, and receive a portion of its production in exchange. This has helped launch countless new farms and brought clean and healthy food to communities around the world.
However, this model is facing increasing challenges as land use restrictions and urban sprawl continue to raise the barriers to new farmers. Enter the Community Operated Agriculture (COA) model. Instead of buying a share of a farm’s production, each member hosts a part of the farm in their yard. Connected by a private Telegram group, members post each week’s surplus, such as vegetables, fruit, eggs, meat, livestock, compost, manure, mulch, seeds, timber products, cuttings, baked and canned goods, etc. Gardeners, homesteaders, and farmers can then work out trades directly with each other individually, as well as bringing goods to a weekly exchange.
The goal of the COA model is to create a replicable system in Western Washington County that transforms our community into a decentralized food web that erases the barrier between urban, rural, and forest areas by creating opportunity for new farmers, expanding food production, and reviving broken community connections.
