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Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "Dalew Farms" <dalew AT phonenet.ca>
- To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models
- Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2010 06:57:45 -0400
Sorry to chime in so late on this one, but I find
it interesting and couldn't get the time to respond earlier.
We also do sort of a hybrid system for our CSA
too. We deliver our shares to a parking lot about an hour drive from home,
so we felt a system where everything was put together by the customer at pickup
time would be too slow and unmanageable for us in that setting. In my
opinion, farms that are able to have customers pick up at the farm have more
flexibility on the system they choose.
What we do, is prepare the standard boxes for most
ingredients. It takes 2 people just under 2 hours for us to do this for 65
shares that we drop off at one location. Then, we have other items that we
call, "on the side". We sort of ended up with this system by
accident. When we were CSA rookies, after about the 3rd week of cabbage
being ready in a season, folks started saying to us; please, no more
cabbage! We had others saying they could use that much cabbage, so we
started bringing cabbage every week, but putting it on the side instead of right
in the box. This seemed to keep everyone happy, so we now use the on the
side system for lots of things. We feel that this helps to fit the varying
needs of sized families, and different tastes and dedication levels. It
addresses the "lack of choice" feeling that sometimes comes with a CSA
subscription.
Other items that we typically do on the side
include: Pickling cukes - we always put slicing cukes right in the
boxes, but put pickles on the side because we figure not everyone wants to make
a tiny batch of pickles each week, this way they can choose to take a few more
and make pickles this week, and take none next week. We always endeavour
to put 2 lettuces in each box, but if we have extra, we put more on the
side. Some folks like 3 lettuces, and some think 2 is too much.
We also find the on the side system usefull for
those weeks when we end up just short of having enough of something to put it in
every box. If we only had 90 cauliflower for example, and we need 100, we
can put it on the side, and those few who dont' want one won't mind at all, and
each family that does want cauliflower is still happy and satisfied. Or,
if you aren't sure how much customers value a certain veggie in their boxes, put
it on the side for a week, and see how many actually choose it! We
did that with bunching onions this year, and our customers confirmed for us they
really do like those!
This on the side system also helps us in the
heaviest harvest weeks in the summer when we would not have been able to fit
everything in the boxes! As folks add stuff to their bins at the dropoff
they become overfull and end up piling extras on top of the lids. We
obviously couldn't pack into a trailer this way with lids, so it saves us from
having to purchase extra share bins.
I hope this helps or gives some others new
ideas! It might not be pefect for everyone, but it allows us to do a 65
share dropoff in a parking lot in a 1 hour window.
Dave
|
-
[Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
John Ferree, 09/01/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Beth Spaugh, 09/01/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models, Dalew Farms, 09/07/2010
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Andy Fellenz, 09/01/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Etienne Goyer, 09/01/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Jen and Derek Campbell, 09/01/2010
-
[Market-farming] Now What?,
alicia best, 09/03/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Now What?,
Richard Robinson, 09/03/2010
-
[Market-farming] Seed Garlic,
Allan.Balliett, 09/14/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Seed Garlic, Mike Brabo, 09/14/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Seed Garlic, Brian Metcalf, 09/14/2010
- [Market-farming] Difficulty starting Romaine/Cos Lettuce, Jay Sleichter, 09/14/2010
- Re: [Market-farming] Difficulty starting Romaine/Cos Lettuce, MAsteveINE, 09/14/2010
-
[Market-farming] Seed Garlic,
Allan.Balliett, 09/14/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Now What?,
Richard Robinson, 09/03/2010
-
[Market-farming] Now What?,
alicia best, 09/03/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Jen and Derek Campbell, 09/01/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Etienne Goyer, 09/01/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Alternative CSA Models,
Beth Spaugh, 09/01/2010
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