World PEAS Cooperative and CSA

Location

The NESFP (New Entry Sustainable Farming Project) helped form the World PEAS Coop in 2005 with the goal to help immigrant and refugee farmers sell more of their produce to new audiences at higher prices. By forming a coop, small, beginning farmers are able to combine their products with other small farmers and support themselves more easily. Additionally, for some immigrants and refugees whose limited English language skills or work schedules make direct sales difficult, participating in the World PEAS Coop helps them to sell more efficiently than working on their own. Currently, over a dozen producers are contributing to the World PEAS Coop.

The World PEAS Cooperative provides weekly shares of fresh, locally-grown veggies for member families through their CSA. As "shareholders" in farm operations, member families make an advanced commitment to supply some costs of production in return for a variety of fresh vegetables. These shares provide enough produce for member families of four to enjoy for each week of the 18-week season, and they consist of summertime favorites like tomatoes and peppers as well as ethnic, specialty vegetables from our farmers' home countries.