Fresh Off the Farm

SIAN KENNEDY FOR TIME
TEAMWORK: Lisa Wallender, left, invests seed money, and the Skinners raise the crop

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Even beyond economics, community-supported agriculture is about something deeper: a sense of common good uniting those who plant and those who eat. Most CSAs don't advertise people find out about them by word of mouth or through websites such as csacenter.org . Many have waiting lists. At Brookfield Farm in Amherst, Mass., which serves more than 500 Boston-area homes, shareholders are raising $150,000 to build a new barn. At Watershed, subscribers bring lawn chairs just to sit and watch, beaming like proud parents over the swath of farmland they have saved from suburban sprawl. And at Huasna, families bond over garlic-popping parties sitting on the Skinners' porch, sorting cloves for next year's planting and swapping recipes. "We're not just selling stuff," says Jenn Skinner. "We've put our heart, soul and sweat into growing this food. We are connected to the people we grow for." And the next time the weeds get out of control, she knows where to turn.