CSA Program
Our flagship program is providing CSA boxes from BIPOC farmers to Black + Brown families as part of our efforts to end food insecurity in Portland.
Learn more below and support this program.
Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is the direct to consumer process of buying shares of crops directly from local farmers. This concept was coined by Dr. Booker T. Whatley, a Black Farmer who taught at Tuskegee University, and his original model was based around labor.
Dr. Whatley invited folks living in urban areas to return to rural land and assist with 2 of the most labor-dependent aspects of the season - planting + harvest. In exchange for this labor, the folks who helped were given produce that they could preserve for winter. This was a solution not only for loss of agriculture labor but a way to address food insecurity as many folks who had left rural areas now were living without access to gardens.
The CSA model was adopted by whites in the 80’s and morphed into the model that we know today. This looks like basically purchasing a subscription at the beginning of the season, and in return the farmer will provide you with a box of fresh foods as they harvest it.
At EGC, we purchase the CSA shares from BIPOC farmers and deliver the produce, along with other pantry and protein staples from local food businesses, to over 400 food insecure families in Portland, weekly.
CSAs are a great way to support local farmers, promote urban farming efforts, and get delicious, environmentally-friendly food.
What are CSA Boxes?
How We Got Started
Equitable Giving Circle understands that income instability often leads to food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated this fact all too well as we also saw economic hardship disproportionately affect Black + Brown communities. In order to combat the impact of generations of discrimination-based social destabilization, lack of access to equitable resources, and the sudden and massive food supply disruption in 2020, EGC began supplying boxes of locally grown food to the families who needed it most.
We also only purchase CSA shares from BIPOC farmers, making ours one of the most unique and impactful farm share programs around! We deliver our boxes weekly through a mixture of paid drivers and volunteers.
Currently our CSA program is located at : 4212 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR 97218
Our CSA Program is run by CSA Director Tamar Green. We have two parts of this program : our home delivery + our weekly Free Market that happens every Thursday. We deliver to 225 Families each week and see another 180 at our Market.
At our weekly Market we regularly have food demos, themed celebrations, our Community Wellness Program distributing household items, other organizations passing our resources or information, OHSU doing health screenings, and most recently we had a DJ at Market. Market is a vibrant community gathering space.
In addition to our direct food work our CSA Program hosts a monthly Blood Pressure Group, and a twice a month Walking Group at Wilshire Park. Every 2nd + 4th Saturday at 11am. AS well as working on the first edition of a community cookbook.
Frequently asked question : Do we take food donations? Yes, We accept BULK food donations, if they are fresh, not expired or expiring soon. Giving oppressed people gleaned food is a playbook out of chattel slavery and we work hard to not uplift harmful norms like that. We prioritize monetary support to be able to purchase the items our community needs the most.
Our CSA Program and food assistance efforts are no small feat. We need your support to continue feeding our community. If you set up a recurring donation of $60 per month, you will provide a box of local food to a family experiencing food insecurity.
Have more to give? Here are a few numbers to help guide you:
$60 provides one box of local food to a family experiencing food insecurity
$85 supports one family’s protein/pantry box per month
$237 provides one month of local food (1 box per week/4 weeks) to a family experiencing food insecurity
$440 provides 2 months of local food (1 box per week/8 weeks) to a family experiencing food insecurity
$1,320 provides 6 months or a full season of local food (22 boxes total) to a family experiencing food insecurity.