Community supported agriculture (CSA) is widely recognized as an effective means of building direct connections between small- and medium- sized farmers and their local consumer base. One of the challenges of managing a CSA is member recruitment. Currently, the most effective means of building CSA membership is through word of mouth promotion, which often results in a slow build up of shareholder numbers.

Shareholder recruitment and retention is dependent on several factors, including consumer familiarity with the CSA concept and convenience of pick up location, among others. Many growers have found success in addressing these factors by approaching existing groups to become shareholders, as groups can be an effective communication channel for sharing information about CSA and often have a shared location that members can conveniently access. Workplaces represent one grouping of consumers that may provide farmers with an accessible and large potential customer base that can be informed about the value of CSA.