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market-farming - CSA memberships, and tours

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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Hook Family" <guldann AT ix.netcom.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: CSA memberships, and tours
  • Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 09:13:43 -0400


Jay wrote:

One of the things I have learned from reading this list is that most
market farmers are quite self-reliant, tending to do much of their
work themselves. Believe me, I understand the good help situation.

Additionally I have learned that getting people signed up for shares
of a CSA farm is not always an easy process and I have been
thinking about how you could increase your share $ignup$ without
going to a lot of individual sales work.

The right time to do this might be over the winter.

Jay you are right the winter is the time to begin, but it does seem people
"enjoy" signing up in the spring. Those that wait though often find CSAs
full.
You are also right about targeting "heathy" places like health clubs, health
food stores. What worked for us was, first year we were tiny, second year
we took out a full page add in a dinky local paper (it went out free to
thousands of area households). Well that was just enough are goal was 30
members I think we took about 35. Last year old members plus new members
,who were basically friends of old members, 38 members. This year old
members, new members are all friends of old members except a few who found
us from the national CSA list and one who found us because we signed up, $15
fee, to be listed in Massachusetts Nofa brochure. I feel like I did
"nothing" but send out brochures field question give a couple of farm tours
(so they could see the place). I was amazed at how many of the new people
who just sent their deposit without visiting. This year we have 43 members,
I wanted 40. We have enough potential customers to expand, but we are just
very gun shy about expansion that requires hired help. Mostly due to
undependablity. We have our first real employee this year so far she come
once a week. She is very dependable as far a showing up goes and works
quite well. But if she quits we know we can do the work without her.
I think there are ways to expand with basically just the two of us doing the
work. I see school tours as one of them. The farm, gardens, animals are in
place. A tour is schedule so as not to interfer with pickup days, I guess
you'd say its sort of "Well we're here anyway might as well give a tour".
That isn't completly accurate in that I've got to do a bit of preparation,
lesson plan, handouts, and some sort of "souvenir" I am leaning towards
sunflower seeds. Any suggestions welcome!
We were hoping to send them home with pickyour own sugarsnap peas but they
won't be ready within the next two weeks (weather didn't cooperate).
Well best do some work, got to get the rest of the plants out of my living
room into hoop greenhouse.
Beth







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