A Case Study of the Symbolic Value of Community Supported Agriculture Membership

Abstract

Sometimes a vegetable is just a vegetable, but how and where it is grown and sold can imbue a lowly potato with status: organic, local, Fairtrade, Peruvian! This paper examines the symbolic value of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a vegetable delivery system using a focus group study. We find that for both current and former members, CSA has both symbolic and private meaning and confers status to vegetables, but has little influence on the perceived status of agriculture. However, only continuing CSA members demonstrate learned cues, perceptions of appraisal, improved role performance, and confer status to the CSA farmer.