Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Week underway at UK
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2025) — Do you want to improve your family’s health? Do you want fresh vegetables straight from the farm to your table while supporting local farms? Do you want to learn new recipes? You can do all of that through University of Kentucky Human Resources (UK HR) Health and Wellness Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) voucher program.
For the 10th consecutive year, employees and retirees with a UK health insurance plan are eligible to claim a CSA voucher. The vouchers can be used to receive significant discounts toward the purchase of fresh produce weekly from May through October, from one of UK’s 13 partner farms.
“This is such a great benefit, and it really shows UK putting money where their mouth is, literally,” said one CSA participant in a past year’s survey about the program. “It's a great incentive to help improve the foods we eat, and it benefits local farmers — a win-win.”
CSA participants may choose from two voucher options:
- $100 off a small produce share
- $200 off a regular produce share
Purchasing a CSA produce share from a partner farm makes the shareholder a member of that farm. Each week, the member will receive a box or bag of fresh vegetables at a convenient location. Member purchases helps these farms plan what they need to buy for the upcoming season. Farms will also share recipes and tips for cooking and storing produce.
“I’ve used the CSA program for the last two years. It’s nice to have the employer-provided discount,” said another CSA participant. “Food has gotten so expensive and knowing that I could customize my CSA and have most of the produce I needed for the week was helpful and saved me money. The CSA really helps push me outside of my comfort zone to try new foods and recipes.”
Once you claim a voucher, you can then purchase a CSA share. You can claim one on the UK HR Health and Wellness Dashboard.
Learn more about the CSA program during CSA Week, Feb. 16-22. UK HR Health and Wellness is hosting two webinars during CSA Week, Feb. 19 and Feb. 20. Attendees will learn more about how CSA impacts members’ health, the environment and the local food system. They will also learn how the CSA voucher helps to save money towards the purchase of a CSA.
“The CSA voucher program is not only a favorite among employees,” said Jody Ensman, well-being manager of UK HR Health and Wellness, “but it is also an innovative workplace wellness initiative that has proven beneficial for employees, the participating local farms and the university.”
The deadline to claim a voucher is 4 p.m. April 11.
(*This is a taxable benefit and for eligible employees only.)
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.