1. Community Supported Agriculture ScholarshipsCSAS Submitted by joie, jer, hatch & angel Upper Valley Advocates for People Living in the Margins May 3, 2010

2. WHAT IS A CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a partnership between community members and farmers to share in the bounty and the risks of farming. CSA is a style of doing business that supports local farmers selling fresh food directly to members of the community. To join a CSA, members make an investment in the spring, when farming output costs such as tools, labor, soil amendments and seeds are high. In exchange, CSA members come to the farm to pick up a share of fresh fruit and vegetables each week throughout the growing season. It’s like a subscription to fresh food!

3. WHY SCHOLARSHIPS? CSA’s are costly and most low-income households cannot even consider buying into a CSA. Prices can range from $100-$500 depending on the items included in the CSA.

4. 1st step Scholarships…Next step get CSA’s to accept Food Stamps! A few of our local farmer markets accept food stamps (otherwise known as the EBT card) now. Why not the CSA? If a families allotment of Food Stamps for a family of 4 can be in the several hundred dollars…why not help the farmer accept the food stamps in payments throughout the year?

5. How would it work? This ‘seed’ money could be used to support several families with their first CSA Scholarships and get a press package ready to encourage donors to contribute to a fund to create a CSA scholarship. We are a trusted Community Action Agency with over 44 years of work in our neighborhood!

6. Finally… Things we don’t have to tell you: Children living in food insecure homes are at greater risk for: Poor health Nutritional deficiencies and obesity/overweight Developmental delays Poor academic achievement Depression, increased aggressive or hyperactive behavior Participation in healthy food programs reduces food insecurity and improves children’s diet quality. Healthy food needs to be affordable!

7. Thanks for reading! Tri-County CAP Homeless Programs 57 Mechanic Street #5 Lebanon, NH 03766 Tel. 603-443-6150 Fax. 603-443-6151 Web. www.tccaphomeless.org Joie, Jer, Hatch & Angel…