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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Monday, March 31, 2008

Produced locally: Community supported agriculture concept growing here

By JOE ORSO / La Crosse Tribune

When Lynn Tschumper moved with her husband to Stoddard, Wis., in 1998, she just wanted to farm.

“I’m not so good at the marketing,” 60-year-old Tschumper said. “I’d rather grow it.”

She figured she’d be selling mostly through Organic Valley, which would take care of the marketing and distribution for her.

But while she still sells some produce to Organic Valley, the bulk of her produce reaches people in the Coulee Region through her community supported agriculture, or CSA, program.

Starting in 1999 with three members, Tschumper’s Lynwood Farm CSA provided boxes of vegetables to 38 people every other week from June to October last year.

Her farm is part of a growing movement in the Coulee Region and across the nation of small farms selling food directly to customers.

Raised on a farm in Buffalo County, Wis., Tschumper had always grown food in her family’s backyard in La Crosse. When her and her husband’s children were raised and the couple followed her dream to a farm in Stoddard, she knew little about CSAs.

But after learning about them via magazines, the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference and word of mouth, she decided to give it a shot.

“I thought this is the way to go,” said Tschumper, whose farm is certified organic. “I’m directly connected to the customer. There’s no middle man. The stuff doesn’t sit around. It goes directly to the end user.”

One of the principles of CSAs is that members share in the risks and bounty of a farm.

At least seven CSAs are in the Coulee Region, and localharvest.org lists 1,879 across the country. Some local CSAs deliver to drop-off points in Madison and the Twin Cities, where they say this way of buying food is more popular.

But the food system, like farmer’s markets, is gaining steam here, with new members joining and new CSAs beginning.

Jillian Jacquinot, who runs Small Family CSA Farm in La Farge, Wis., said communities and local economies are strengthened through CSAs.

Her CSA, which delivers to drop-off points in Iowa, Illinois and the Coulee Region, began in 2006 with 25 members. Last year, they had 65 and hope for 100 this year.

“A lot of times when they get the food from their boxes, there’s still dirt on their lettuce or it’s wet from being washed that morning,” said 24-year-old Jacquinot. “People remember that food actually comes from the earth and it doesn’t just come from a grocery store shelf or from California.”

Cathy Daus, 44, joined Jacquinot’s CSA last year, and helped Jacquinot plant potatoes one day last summer.

“It’s good for our health. It’s good for the community. It’s introduced us to more food, more vegetables,” said Daus, of Onalaska, Wis. “We can’t plant on our particular piece of property or if we could, it wouldn’t be what she is able to provide for us.”

Local delivery

Representatives from local CSAs will be at the Local Foods Fair on April 26 at Cameron Park. Cost, quantity and type of food vary among CSAs, which are still accepting members for the upcoming season:

Driftless Farm CSA

Amelia Baxter, (608) 452-2315, ameliaswan@riseup.net

www.driftlessfarm.net

Drop-offs: La Crosse

Harmony Valley Farm

Terri Kromenaker, (608) 483-2143 ext. 2, coordinator-csa@harmonyvalleyfarm.com

www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com

Drop-offs: Viroqua, La Crosse, Onalaska

Small Family CSA Farm

Jillian Jacquinot, (608) 625-4178, smallfamilycsa@yahoo.

com www.smallfamilycsa.com

Drop-offs in: La Crosse, Onalaska, Viroqua, West Salem, La Farge