Running a CSA Can be Tough
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- By no means all of the tips I could give on this subject, honestly just the ones that came to mind. BUT, I think there are some goodies in here. if you want me to expand on this subject, lemme know!
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I’d add offerings short programs during peak production times. If your running a 12 week program, try offering a 3 week program in July when summer veg is really producing. Many times people are reluctant to commit to a 12 week program, 3 weeks would be like a sample. 9 out of 10 of those people will be back for the longer CSA.
We've been surveying our members at the end of every season for the past 10 years or so. The number one complaint over all these years is "too much food", it's also the most common reason people sight for not signing up again. Some years ago we started offerings an every other week share to combat this problem. It has been a pretty good solution, for offering people a smaller share without adding too much to the management burden of the farm. The biggest challenge is that it becomes a little more complicated to track what has been going out and making sure the offerings are varied.
I used to work driving a food recovery truck for the food bank. It was amazing how much food waste goes unseen in our traditional food system. In a town of less then 100,000 we had no problem filling a couple box trucks every day. I've always felt the CSA is a pretty efficient model in comparison, but it's understandablely more uncomfortable for people to have to be confronted with the waste of a system in thier own kitchen.
Thanks, David! Yeah the waste thing is interesting. Wasting from the supermarket seems surprisingly less problematic for folks than from a farmers market. The investment could also play into that. But the relationship as well--folks don’t like to waste our food. It actually hurts our business.
@@notillgrowers Very insightful point about the relationship factor. I probably never would have thought of that on my own, but now that you've mentioned it I would guess that's a huge part of what is going on for folks.
Thank you for sharing. My wife and I grow tons of food and want to transition from our jobs to running a csa. Growing food is a passion of ours and we want to turn all of our energy to working on our farm instead of doing it only as a hobby. Any extra advice or tips would be appreciated.
Excellent tips! Our csa (salad subscription) fam really appreciated the 'how to store your veggies advice'. And yes, go easy on the size of your boxes, ideally we want our customers using everything within the week so they don't feel overwhelmed. Everyone likes something different/weird it's part of the fun- as long as you explain what to do with it and get feed back. I never would've guessed broccoli leaves could be so popular! Like two weeks worth of popular, the novelty usually wears off by then.
Broccoli leaves are so tasty! I thought about giving the whole plant one year but decided it is just too enormous...
One thing I would like to do in the future is offer the herbs as you-pick. I include two herbs every week but I always feel like it is an after thought. There is very little rhyme or reason to what I include, but I know herbs are high value and many of them are almost as good as storage crops as far as always having them on hand. Especially the perennial ones. I think there are advantages to making it you-pick such as the customers will feel more in control of their produce and the portion. It will save me time and will give me a chance to engage with the customers and for them to engage with the farm. There are probably other benefits as well and of course some disadvantages (time jawing, damaged plants) but the most important benefit is that it will get more people coming here for their veggies. I am super small right now and so it’s not a “big deal” to deliver all the shares, but even at this scale I feel that time crunch.
Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing Daniel! Keep it growing :)
I absolutely love your content brother. Really great to see how your style and voice in the videos has developed over the years. As I started with your current videos and worked backwards.
Really appreciate your passion and encouraging nature.
Loving your channel- new binge watchers from Scotland. We’ve just finished our 4th season growing for veg boxes, 2nd as a CSA and we nodded our heads in agreement many times throughout this .Good stuff.
Hey Tap-o-north! Thanks and great to hear
Great video! I’d love to see a more in depth video or podcast specifically on running a CSA. Let’s get into those nerdy details! Lol!
Thanks for the tips, I am planning to start a CSA this coming season and this is very helpful. I just started watching your channel and it's been very helpful, especially that we are from the same neck of the woods ( I'm located in Harlan), keep up the great work.
Oh awesome! Good to hear of some growers in East KY!
Great info!! I have a very small CSA and these were really helpful!! Thx
Hi there Jesse....introduced to you by my son and so have subscribed as really enjoyed hearing so many useful tips and watching how you have developed your business...Great work. Tap o'Noth mum 😊
Thanks, Shirley!
Great advice! Thanks Jesse!
I wish I could work on your farm with you. You're very talented. I work by myself growing sprouts for a living on a 5 acre property that I rent while I build my business and credit score high enough to get a mortgage. Farming outdoors by myself is rough when I work full time sprouting. I have a great equestrian center 5 mins down the road that I can get as much wood shavings as I want, some has been sitting for a decade. Here I go
best of luck! Think about teAming up with another farmer for your next venture and split the load. That’s one big regret we have--going it solo
Great info, thank you!
Great ideas and your thoughts are helpful.
Good to hear! Definitely could make ten videos like this
I always liked your cooking videos in the beginning. I thought you made things easy to understand. Keep up the great work
Thanks, Craig. I sometimes dream of getting back to those vids.... Maybe retirement!
@@notillgrowers re-post them!
Awesome site Jesse, new subscriber, long time gardener.. following you from here on out
Awesome, Vernon! Welcome
Marketing. Information on how to start and grow your CSA
Please and thank you.
Your doing very great and important things 🙏🤘
Great info
Excellent video! I’m starting a csa next year and honestly nervous and scared about being able to provide every week. You helped with some of those fears. I wish that this was the 2 hour version of tips though! The ones you gave were excellent!
We may actually do that for real at some point. So many things to say about successful CSA farming.
I would love to see it!
@No-Till Growers Yes. That would be amazing. Starting and running a CSA discussion pannel with a few other successful CSA market gardeners.
Great information, thanks Jesse. I have been thinking of starting a small CSA but need to find the time. I already sell to a local farmers market and two country farm stores but a lot of my customers want me to start a CSA. If I start out small say 10 customers I can see how it goes. Growing the food is not a problem and I already grow garlic.
Great! Thanks. I do have a couple thoughts on starting small. I think it’s a good way to dip your toes in the CSA water, but do a shorter season. Maybe 12 weeks. The reason is that 10 members will take roughly the same amount of time as 40 and it can disrupt a week pretty well. So if you commit to 20 or so weeks it will be a weekly burden with not a lot of return. I do think starting small can work, though. For sure. That’s what we did.
Good tips, thinking of starting a CSA in my area, I'm an expat living in Japan. Question, have you ever tried growing Komatsuna? Its an amazing substitute for cooked spinach, cool weather crop. Simple recipe, chopped bacon and Komatsuna fried in a little olive oil, lightly salted. delicious.
I’ve not tried komatsuna! In the podcast episode with Assawaga farm they talked about it and now I want to try some. Sounds delicious. Thanks!
Keep up the good work Jes ,what you think about a c.s.a that's c.o.d. not prepay
the only issue with COD is overproduction and no guaranteed sales. People do it though. Check out the podcast interview with Jared Smith of Jared’s real food last season. He relies on weekly orders like that
We garden and make a lot of other home goods that are natural. Will a CSA allow you to add more than vegetation? I know several folks who do food clubs which they can put those things but can a CSA add those things?
You do have to grow a wider diversity in a CSA, for sure, or at least offer it. If someone else grows X crop, you can always buy it in as long as your customers are cool with that (which they generally are).
Thank you!
It’s all about what you’re making, how it’s made and how much risk you are willing to take. I live in Georgia and I could get my kitchen certified to make jams or breads or something under the cottage industry laws here. I could then legally sell those things and a CSA is just a form of selling so it shouldn’t be a problem. They are called “value added products.” I feel like I would want a much different insurance package if I included value added products, even though I have been canning and processing for a long time for personal use. I’m a bit risk averse I guess. Are you thinking about including those things when you are short on fresh veg? If that’s the case, those storage crops Jesse talked about need another mention. You could also consider including lufa sponges you grew or flower starts in early season shares. Other things like homemade soaps or things like that should not need additional regulation I think, just foods. It’s just that those value added products are so much of your time, make sure you don’t under value them just so you can have x items in your share.
Yeah but how much of each thing would I put into each box?
I want to monetize some of my gardening effort and have considered a CSA. I don't know how to get the "word" out or to see what/if any market saturation is (been here 15 months and haven't heard of any). How did you start?
I’m considering just starting by selling to friends and family. The people I see often anyway. Add in eggs and even sour dough bread if you’re a baker!
I’ve considered offering a discount to people....if they give us their food scraps for compost.
Maybe 1 pound of food for every 10 pounds of viable food scraps...?...what do you think?
is customizing CSA basket makes operation harder?
If you figure out the logistics and set up a good system I think it can be great. Over and under production of specific vegetables could be a challenge there, too. If you grow a bunch of something and the customers don’t order it and you don’t have another outlet, that could be expensive.
I still haven't decides how I'm going to sell(I figure the market will decide for me) but I have thought seriously about CSA. I thought I would do a small local farmers market at first and try to build some good customer relationships and from there begin the CSA. I have a ton of specific questions about all this but I'll stick to one big one. You say communicate with the customer, do you find that they are generally glad and willing to communicate and interact with the farmer?
Absolutely! CSA customers are generally trying to know where their food comes from more than the average person. They like building that relationship and are happy to offer advice and feedback.
Maybe a video about not running a CSA? I think CSA is restrictive and limiting. We have moved away from it and we have customers buying 100.00 or more of produce every week dozens of cucmbers 2 pounds of lettuce weekly meat and more. I think CSA is a trap and has a ton of pitfalls. What about offering a membership that is actually a community supported agriculture program all i really see is farmer supported agriculture that allows a participation reward to people who want to feel good they spent a few hundred dollars at a farm. I think CSA seems to actually hurt the farm and farmer and doesnt really serve the community.
@@jessicawashkowiak1619 why is a CSa limited? In what way?
What is CSA?
Stands for Community supported agriculture--it’s like a subscription to a farm.
@@notillgrowers Thank you.