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  • From: Lucy Goodman <goodows AT infinet.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: Weird Veggies
  • Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 05:32:33 -0500

we have thought about providing grains in the past but few of our members would know how to deal with the grains. We do not have the facilities to grind it into flour nor know of any place within 100 miles that could this for us. We do offer dried beans and pop corn, though the past two years have been failures on the dried bean front. we have thought about offering dent corn but again most of our members would have no clue what to do with it other than to use as decoration.

We try and stay away from too many weird veggies. I feel a share should have lots of staples like carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic-things that are used in about every dish one would cook. if you include such things than the members are less likely to have to go to Kroger's to buy food.

I also have noticed too many strange things leads to food guilt. Even with recipes many members still are unable to use many new things. I try to keep new introductions to one a week that way members don't have too many new things to learn to deal with.

One thing that I have noticed keeps them coming back is fruit in the shares. This year I have managed to provide between 2 and 5 fruit items (last week we had strawberries, cantaloup from a hoophouse, tomatoes (also from a hoophouse), apples and pears. These items truly excite our members.

We have thought about providing meat and eggs to members but have found most do not want to buy such items through the CSA. we offer them as an extra subscription. In the past we did offer such items as a part of the share but lost lots of money because we priced the meat and eggs way too low and discovered that in order to make some profit on meat and eggs through the CSA the cost would have to be higher than what most people around here are comfortable paying and it turns out at least half our members are either vegetarian or vegan and do not want meat and eggs anywhere near their share. Like others we have found there are many local organic/sustainable farmers raising all sorts of grains, meats, dairy, etc. and we tell members and other customers to use these local growers as well as us. I don't think it is feasible for an average small farm to provide ALL the food for a community.

One though about member drop off. I think it is a lot like when people join a health club and are all excited at first about going to the gym and getting in shape but after a few weeks or months the excitement fades and the person visits the gym less and less often until, eventually, they drop out. Lots (most?) of people join a CSA because it is the PC thing to do, not because they are really looking for an alternative way to procure food (the people who join for this reason are members who "get it"). They like the idea of supporting local farms and getting organic food. But they are not really cognizant that the CSA can and should replace a lot of their spending at more conventional venues such as Kroger's. They see the whole CSA thing as a way of fitting in with their green peers-people who talk the talk but don't really walk the walk. i figure at least 50% of new CSA members annually fit this description.

Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Organics
New Paris, OH
Check out the Boulder Belt website:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
"There is no way to peace---peace is the way."
A.J. Muste





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