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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] how to set up a CSA program

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  • From: "David Inglis" <mhcsa AT verizon.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] how to set up a CSA program
  • Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:03:18 -0500

Lorenzo,

There is no ‘correct’ way. Successful yes, but not correct.

I would recommend finding a small group of people from your area to work with in setting it up. The essence of CSA is that there is a mutually agreed and transparent relationship between the two parties to the agreement; that is what forms the basis of the community in Csa. That is hard to do if you don’t have at least some representation of the consumers of the food that you are producing. All the other arrangements, pre payment etc etc are, in my opinion, optional and negotiable .

If you are not in a position to call on a few of your existing customers to co create the CSA then I suggest you sell by the pound until you have created enough local goodwill that can form the basis of a CSA enterprise. If you set it up as a marketing ‘scheme’, especially if you do not have much experience growing, then it may be difficult. If you sell a overripe lettuce it will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for a week. If you launch an ill conceived CSA model without consultation on a unfamiliar public that then falls short of [often unrealistic] expectations it will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for a lot longer than a week. The most common way ‘new growers deal with this is to offer the CSA shares at a very low price thus dramatically lowering expectations. This too is not wise because it is hard to raise prices once a precedent is set. CSA share cost should be based on real costs including a decent margin. If this share cost does not compare favorably to local price points then the solution is  NOT to lower prices, which only means you will be subsidizing your customers, but to go back and examine your production system to improve productivity.

There are a lot of additional pressures for the grower that come with CSA, mostly in the category of ‘consumer expectation’.

Having said all that I myself would not grow for anything other than a CSA  at this point [surpluses apart]

In summary you should:

  1. Become the best grower you can
  2. find a local CSA mentor
  3. establish a loyal customer base
  4. work with representatives of that base to form the CSA
  5. remember a CSA  may be many other things but it is also a business
  6. Csa’s become easier and more productive at larger scales with 220 being the usual dynamic threshold. Small can work too based on special conditions but do not be afraid to grow, it makes things easier as long as you pay attention to #7
  7. work your production system up  to +/- 80% of its capacity
  8. think about working with other growers to exchange surpluses to cover for crop failures. This will make your system more robust.
  9. once successful mentor other CSA’s in your area. The more of you there are the better.

All the above is true no matter if you are a back yard gardener or plan your cops in thousands of row feet.

Best of luck.

Dave

 

Dave Inglis

www.mahaiweharvest.com

Berkshire County,

Massachusetts I have only a few years experience but I absolutley love growing food. I'm going to start a CSA in my neighborhood this season. I'm in need of info on how to correctly set one up. Would really appreciate the help. 

Thanks 

Lorenzo

 

 




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