CSA History

The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has deep, global roots. In Japan, a group of women formed partnerships with local farmers to grow food for their communities. Their aim was to avoid imported food, reduce pesticide use and protect farmland from development. These partnerships came to be known as Teikei, which translates to "food with the farmer’s face on it."

In Europe, the CSA model emerged from biodynamic agriculture principles inspired by Rudolf Steiner. His followers brought the concept to the United States, where the first American CSAs were founded in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the early 1980s. Remarkably, both are still active. Now, there are thousands of CSA programs operating across the country.

Denver Botanic Gardens launched its own CSA program at Chatfield Farms in 2009 with a grant from Kaiser Permanente. Members of the public purchase shares of the season’s harvest and receive fresh, locally grown produce from May through November. Additionally, a portion of each harvest is donated to local nonprofit organizations, supporting food access in the community.

The CSA model directly links consumer and farmer, cultivating a shared experience of both the risks and rewards of farming. At Chatfield Farms, we also offer reduced-price shares to shareholders in exchange for working a few hours on the farm each week.

Our produce is distributed to shareholders at two locations: Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms and Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street. In addition to seasonal vegetables, we feature locally produced goods like mushrooms, eggs, sourdough bread and more. Our goal is to offer our shareholders as many options as possible to source their food locally, as well as to support other small farms and producers.