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market-farming - launching a CSA

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  • From: "Hook Family" <guldann AT ix.netcom.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: launching a CSA
  • Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 07:35:30 -0400


Clarence wrote:
It did seem that I could sell all of the Halloween pumpkins I could grow =
for a great price and with little in the way of labor input. Beyond =
that, I feel that either growing for restaurants by contract or =
establishing a CSA this Fall to participate in planning for next year =
would be a great help. Any suggestions as to a best book with some real =
meat on planning and implementation issues associated with launching a =
CSA would be greatly appreciated as I am already familiar with the =
basics and the theories and really need some practical do's, don'ts and =
hows before diving in. Clarence W. Walker

Clarence, We are in our 5th year as a CSA it is essentially a "second" job.
Husband is a school teacher. So we are both full time in summer and part of
the year only I am full time. So we've got health insurance etc. We live
on hubby's childhood home and use the farm free with his father's blessing.
So our startup was fairly cheap compared to some. New tractor, small hoop
house.
We have grossed approx $13,000-$14,000 per year from membership fees. We've
been negligent about being very precise as to expenses and really don't have
an acurate "net" But we do know we do a bit better than break even :)
Just this year I branched out selling eggs to members and have been selling
some produce through a food coop.
There are advantages to a CSA you enter the growing season with a set group
of consumers in our case we have collected their deposits which covers early
season expenses. Balance of payment is on opening day in June. So
customers and money all set in early June and then the rest of the summer is
"simply" growing and distributing. There is a comfort in that. Not setting
up a farm stand or farmers market booth with tons of food and wondering will
it sell. I set up for a pickup day and know its sold.
Some disadvantages: You have a set group of customers who have already paid.
Now you must each week produce as promised. Ok there is a bit of wiggle
room. You can have a poor yield of this but better have a good yield of
that to compensate. In our opinion sharing the risk means only sharing a
bit as above. We knew going in we could never take anyones money and
completely fail and still keep the money. Thankfully our divirsified garden
has produced enough selection each year to make for a nice season.
Theoretically CSA are way more personal. Mine is hugely personal. I have
three tended pickup days (about 2 hour window). I write a weekly
newsletter(a big hit). I like to get chatty in my newsletter but most
importantly I give recipes and basic cooking instructions. If they can't
use the food they will drop out.
I have heard of CSAs that are rather impersonal. Its simply a group who has
prepaid and each week they get veggies at some sort of pickup point. If the
quality of the veggies are good I can see where this can work. And I
honestly have fantasies sometimes of this style when I have been kept and
hour over pickup times due to chatty chatty. But in the scheme of things I
think my way is best for us and our group.
What mix of vegetables to grow is different for a CSA than for another
market. You could break down hours in and money in for x crop at a farmers
market and say to yourself "You know the hours I spent tending x did not
show up in sales, I am not going to grow that next year". This does not
really work with a CSA in that they have paid for a mix and expect a mix not
just a few "easy" vegetables. Not to say that you don't discover
preferences. I may need to rethink cabbage amounts, not everyones favorites
often left behind on pickup day. So instead of 3 per membership in planting
schedule maybe 2.
Well thats the start of my "story" feel free to ask questions. Beth






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