Knowing where your food comes from: CSAs 'reintroduce agriculture to local communities' Ashley Winchester FacebookTwitterEmail Farm life is cyclical: Plan, plant, harvest. Community Supported Agriculture programs — otherwise known as CSAs — help farmers with the planning part, while allowing supporters to share in the harvest by paying up front before the season starts. Think of it as an investment in a local farm. “CSAs have proven to be a great way to reintroduce agriculture to local communities, while doing so with increased transparency,” said Gary Jalbert, president and CEO of Lyman Orchards. “I believe that consumers have an increasing desire to know where their food products come from, and CSAs provide them with that knowledge.”