CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. As you know, a farmer’s harvest depends on the weather. Not only but mostly. And it has always been hard for farmers to anticipate the quality of harvest, and the amount of clients.CSA was created to mitigate the risks for farmers.

I have found here a good definition. It "consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes—either legally or spiritually—the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production."

In Tampere, Rekola’s farm exists since 1970 and has recently started a CSA. It’s an organic and a biodynamic farm. Here is how it works (all the following is coming from Henri, Rekola’s farmer and was shared in Sept. 2019):

"We have only 5 memberships left and harvest shares available for the season 2019, so it is still possible to join. Our CSA memberships works like this:

– The membership price to join is124,00€ (including tax 14%), this payment is made only once and if a member chooses to resign for some reason (moving out of the city etc.), we refund 50,00€
– The harvest share for every season is paid at the beginning of the season. Price for harvest share for season 2019 is 300,00€ (including 14% tax) and it makes 12 deliveries of about 5kg. To our regular farmers market customers we can offer half a share (150,00€ inc. tax), if they want to come to the market and after the market season continue with csa-shares. If you are using lot’s of vegetables, it is of course possible to buy several shares (two, three, etc).
– The deliveries are every second week. it is easier for the members and the vegetables are so good quality that they will keep in the fridge easily for 2 weeks.
– We deliver at 3 pick up points in Tampere:
a) Tammela,
b) Pispala
c) Keskustori
and 2 locations in Kangasala.
If one decides to join as a member we will send accurate information about the pick up locations, dates, etc. The members will commit to pick up their veggies at certain time frames (for example between 16.00-18.00) and if a member fails to pick up their veggies, it is not refundablee. So it is important that the members pick up their veggies at the time frames given.
– A delivery company delivers the veggies to the pick up places, except Tammelantori where deliver ourselves.

– The amount of veggies per share is the same for every member. They include all our gardens vegetables according the season (summer more leaf vegetables and in autumn more root vegetables etc). The CSA-season start in mid July and lasts till early December. During the season there are 12 harvest shares, so you pay 300€ and you get 12 deliveries of 5-8kg of veggies every 2 weeks.
– If you want to join half way of the season (let’s say 10.10 until 5.12), then the price for the share is naturally half (150,00€)

I hope this information is helpful to you and more info you can find at: www.rekolanpuutarha.com (only in Finnish at the moment)."

For more options to buy organic food in Tampere, read here.

All picture and infos related to their CSA are (c) Rekola.