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  • From: "Ploughshare" <gjbrever AT midwestinfo.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Food For Folk
  • Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:35:54 -0600

Your idea sounds great! I have the following questions:


1. How could you attain non-profit status since you are a
CSA? When we first started out we did not have 501c3 status. Donors would
donate say, $425 (a cost of a full share) to the non-profit organization
that we worked with, say the crisis center, earmarking that money to our
farm. Later on we talked to a non-profit lawyer who questioned whether or
not we were doing was exactly "kosher." I would recommend working with a
non-profit that is already working with sustainable farms.. and they could
have a list of farmers that a donator would be able to earmark his funds to.
Now, our project has been taken over by a non-profit/MN agency that
helps to get rural initiatives off the ground. It has really taken off to a
new level since then. The coordinator has already written over 20+ grants.

2. How does this system allow you to profit from excess
produce? It seems like you are simply gaining new
customers which need to be accounted for. How do you know
how much excess produce you will have?
--Every CSA I talk to grows an excess of food. Especially those CSA's that
are just starting out need a "cushion" so that they make sure their regular
CSA customers are satisfied. My excess cabbage that I may have so much of
and my CSA members do not want to be loaded down with, I can simply take it
to the nonprofits I work with. This way I have more time to focus on CSA,
and I don't have to try to pawn it off at the farmer's markets.

It deals with this dilemna that I have also gone through with the coops.
When I have a good crop of something, so does everyone else and it is very
difficult to sell wholesale. The project really helps with the glut of food
during the peak season. Let me emphasize though, that everything we sell
through the Food for Folk Project is high quality produce. (though at times
it may not be all the exact same size like the coops are so picky about)

3. >> I say "will get paid" in a future tense because this
is the first year that we have sold the huge amount of
produce through the FFF project (around $40k worth) and
have to work through out the winter raising those funds
through private donations and grants. <<

This is confusing. You say you have ?sold? around $40k
worth yet still have to work to raise those funds. Please
explain.
We will be getting paid this spring. We were waiting for a grant to go
through, and we got it. In addition we are working to get more private
donations.

4. >> We connect the recipients into our CSA and they are
included into the educational and community pieces of what
we are doing such as the cooking classes, potlucks, and
other events.<<

Please elaborate.
--About twenty of the recipients receive a CSA share just like our normal
CSA members. These recipients are included in all the activities that our
farm holds such as cooking classes, potlucks, music events, newsletters,
etc.. It becomes a project of inclusiveness in a community--the community
of CSA members.

--Please check out our website for more information.






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