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For farmers and consumers, the situation is win-win but not without risks.
Jason Duncan of Grandview Heights wanted to know the origin of his food. So, two years ago, he joined the Wayward Seed Farm with his wife.
"We love the quality of the food and being exposed to more varieties than you'd see at the grocery stores," the 34-year-old said.
Kristen Oaks of Worthington views the idea as a matter of convenience.
"I like to cook. I wanted local produce. I was already buying it at farmers markets," said the 44-year-old, a subscriber to Wayward Seed for the third year in a row.
Although the government doesn't keep track, Erin Barnett - director of LocalHarvest.org, a Web site in California that compiles lists of farms, markets and community-supported efforts nationwide - has seen an increase in the number of listings on her site.
"We hear from so many new startup ... (operations) or farms that sold at farmers markets," she said, that are converting to the community-supported model.
The site lists 2,500 throughout the country.
At the Wayward Seed Farm, which consists of 5 acres in Marysville and 35 more near London, owners Jaime Moore and Adam Welly increased their available shares to 400 in 2010, up from 350 last year.
"We get the money upfront for the seeds, for the work to prepare for the season," Moore said. "It operates as the operating loan so the farmer doesn't have to go to the bank for a loan. It also allows us to determine the quantity we'll need.
"It's a great support system for the farm."
At Wayward Seed, a full share averages about 16 to 18 pounds of food a week - which might include several types of carrots, squash and radishes. Shares range in size, frequency and variety and cost from $90 to $925 depending on the options selected.
Michael Jones - owner of the Greener Grocer and founder of Local Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to easing access to wholesome food - perceives two reasons for the popularity of community-supported agriculture: Consumers have a broader awareness of local foods, and farms are seeking to market their products in savvier ways.
The Greener Grocer sells what it calls a "fresh market bag," or a third-party offering.
"We buy from 25 to 30 farmers and put it all together," Jones said.
For winter subscriptions, which run from December through May, the bags might include locally produced grains, cheese or honey. During the summer season, May through November, subscribers receive fruits and vegetables almost exclusively. The market bags cost $20 for a medium-sized order or $30 for a large order. Customers pay in installments or in a lump sum for the season.
For some folks, the price tag represents a stumbling block.
"There's still resistance for people to pay upfront for something they won't see until June," Jones said.
"It's a perceived investment," Moore said. "You think you just can't do it."
To help, Wayward Seed has implemented payment plans and automatic debits from bank accounts. Members should look at the big picture, not the initial cost, said Jenny Adams, who has subscribed to several efforts through the years.
"It usually only comes out to $20 to $30 a week," said the Upper Arlington resident, 41. "Most people spend that much on produce - or should. They can easily spend that on fast food and coffee."
Another challenge is figuring out what to do with all the produce when it arrives.
"There were a few things we got a lot of," said Adams, a subscriber to the market bag at the Greener Grocer "We got a lot of kohlrabi one year."
Last year, Duncan said, the surplus of plums posed a problem.
"After making jam and jelly and tarts, what do you do?" he said.
For her part, Oaks is still eating beets from last season that she put in cold storage. Moore, of Wayward Seed, tries to assist members by providing recipes with the bags of produce. In addition, although she can't customize each subscription, she offers an "exchange basket" when the customers retrieve their produce.
"If they don't like something," she said, "they can put it in the basket and take something else out."
The concept, Barnett said, isn't for everybody.
People not used to eating seasonally might be surprised when they aren't given everything they see weekly at the supermarket. Tomatoes, for example, don't ripen until August. And many operations provide only vegetables and not fruit.
The benefit of being tied financially to the farmer also carries a downside, Jones said.
"There's opportunity and risk," he said. "If there's a disaster, you share the risk of not getting a product." Such a result, Barnett said, actually creates a sense of community between the members and the farm.
"If a hailstorm takes out all the peppers," she said, "everyone is disappointed together and together cheers on the winter squash and broccoli."
Share owners, Jones said, start to get "an idea of the risks associated with food."
"We're so out of touch. It really puts a face on the farmer. People feel like they have a share in the farm."
Nationwide, visit www.localharvest.org to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
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