Offer a CSA Program
at Your Workplace
Kentucky Farm Share Coalition increases employee access to fresh foods and helps employers champion a culture of well-being and support the local food system.
What is CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a subscription-based model that allows individuals to purchase food directly from a local farm. Members sign up ahead of the season and then receive a share of the farm's harvest. CSA shares can be purchased for produce, meat, eggs, and other farm products and picked up on a regular basis throughout the growing season.
Workplace CSA Vouchers
Kentucky Farm Share Coalition supports workplaces in promoting weekly produce CSA shares through a CSA voucher program. CSA vouchers are a financial incentive (generally $ 200 or more per voucher) that employers can choose to offer towards the total share cost for a 20-week or longer CSA program as an employee wellness benefit. Vouchers can increase access to fresh foods, promote long-term employee health, and serve as an investment in building a more local, organic, and regional food system.​
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Impact of CSA on Employee Health
Only 5.6% of Kentucky adults meet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's daily vegetable intake recommendation, and a majority struggle with diet-related illnesses. Starting a workplace CSA program is a low-cost way to invest in employee health by increasing access to a regular supply of fresh vegetables.
CSA is a commitment to consuming fresh, healthy foods. When employees become CSA members, they plan meals around the seasonal produce in the weekly farm share.
Research shows that participants who participate in a CSA program cook more at home, eat less processed food, and increase their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. These positive lifestyle behaviors that develop from joining a CSA have a lasting impact on long-term health. Recent data have found that workplace CSA participants spend less on prescriptions, have fewer non-preventative doctor visits, and report feeling healthier overall.
When the CSA voucher program was piloted at the University of Kentucky in 2016, agricultural economists found that for every $1 invested in CSA vouchers, $2.47 was saved on diet-related medical expenses for employees who started a CSA in a poorer state of health. On average, employees in this category saved between $ 1,000 and $ 1,500 during the 12 months following the program. Further, any improved health outcomes associated with employee CSA membership result in lower group plan costs for the employer (view CSA research here).
Partner Farm CSA Shares
All partner farms (read their bios here) are experienced growers with over three years of experience in CSA production. Each farm offers weekly shares of diverse locally and sustainably grown produce. They provide high-quality customer service and keep their members informed about what's happening on the farm through regular communication.
CSA shares include a mixture of vegetables and some fruit. Partner farms offer multiple share sizes that range from small (5-8 items), regular (6-9 items), and XL (10-14 items). Members can choose which size works best for their household. The farms also offer varying payment plans so that CSA members can pay in full or split up payments. ​The cost of a CSA share varies based on the number of items and weeks in the CSA season.
Small Share
Regular Share
XL Share
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Building Healthy Communities through CSA
KY Farm Share Coalition has implemented CSA workplace wellness programs with employers for 6 years, with voucher programs up to 700 shares. Partner employers have invested $2.8M and over 5,000 shares in local foods with farms that use growing practices that help decrease the effects of climate change in Kentucky.
When employers promote KY Farm Share Coalition CSA they build community around preparing healthy recipes, promoting positive eating habits, and supporting Kentucky farmers.
Start your wellness program today to positively impact your employees, your local economy, and your corporate social responsibility goals!
Contact Us
Get in touch at kyfarmshare@oak-ky.org to learn more about CSA and how you can promote fresh foods as an employee health benefit.