CSA Program
Our flagship program is providing CSA boxes from BIPOC farmers to BIPOC families as part of our efforts to end food insecurity in Portland. Learn more below and find out how to support this program.
Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is the direct to consumer process of buying shares of crops directly from local farmers. This is a concept coined by Booker T. Whatley, a Black Farmer who taught at Tuskegee University. You’re basically buying a subscription at the beginning of the season, and the farmer will provide you with boxes of fresh food as they harvest it. It’s a great way to support local farmers, promote urban farming efforts, and get delicious, environmentally-friendly food. At EGC, we purchase the CSA shares from BIPOC farmers and deliver the produce, along with other pantry and protein staples from local food businesses, to over 300 food insecure families in Portland. In late summer, our families with school-aged kids can also receive backpacks as part of our partnership with Operation Back to School.
What are CSA Boxes?
Equitable Giving Circle understands that income instability often leads to food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated this fact all too well as we also saw economic hardship disproportionately affect BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. In order to combat the impact of generations of discrimination-based social destabilization, lack of access to equitable resources, and the sudden and massive food supply disruption in 2020, EGC began supplying boxes of locally grown food to the families who needed it most.
We also only purchase CSA shares from BIPOC farmers, who had been financially impacted by the pandemic, making ours one of the most unique and impactful farm share programs around! We deliver our boxes weekly through a mixture of paid drivers and volunteers. If you are interested in driving, reach out to us as we are always looking for on-the-ground support.
4212 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR 97218
We also accept food donations, though we prioritize monetary support to be able to purchase the items our community needs the most.
Our CSA Program and food assistance efforts are no small feat. We need your support to continue feeding our community. If you set up a recurring donation of $60 per month, you will provide a box of local food to a family experiencing food insecurity.
Have more to give? Here are a few numbers to help guide you:
$60 provides one box of local food to a family experiencing food insecurity
$85 supports one family’s protein/pantry box per month
$237 provides one month of local food (1 box per week/4 weeks) to a family experiencing food insecurity
$440 provides 2 months of local food (1 box per week/8 weeks) to a family experiencing food insecurity
$1,320 provides 6 months or a full season of local food (22 boxes total) to a family experiencing food insecurity.