Barb Perkins on Risk Management with CSA

In Her Boots

In this episode, Barb Perkins of Vermont Valley Community Farm explains how the CSA model manages risk in her regional food hub of Madison. Highlights of today's conversation include making the most of space by succession planting and the all-important “C” in CSA: community. Barb shares ways she involved their CSA members as partners in their farm. Barb Perkins and her husband, David, ran Vermont Valley Community Farm CSA from 1994 through 2018. The farm, near Madison, Wisconsin, was one of the first CSAs in the state and one of the largest. The farm engaged its members in many ways and became a vibrant community over the years. Barb is an advocate for CSA and an educator for CSA farmers and the community. Barb and David retired the CSA after 24 amazing seasons. Vermont Valley continues to grow and sell certified organic seed potatoes.