NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is promoting community supported agriculture.

CSA is a business model through which a non-farmer purchases a share or half-share of a real farmer's harvest - often before the crops are even planted.

State officials say such arrangements are a national trend. They are popular with farmers because they can pay for the seed, fuel and other expenses to farm for the year. For consumers, they get fresh, local food already paid for. Fees vary.

CSAs keep food dollars - and the farmlands where they're produced - in the community.

A spring-summer CSA share typically lasts from late May until early November. Tennessee CSAs are accepting customers now.

A directory of CSAs is at www.picktnproducts.org .