CSA business

[The Future]

I am considering starting a CSA and would like advice from anyone here who has either run one or been a customer of one.  I am in the final stages of leasing a half acre plot, far more than I need to feed my family. 
- In terms of the plot, here is my current thinking: I need to arrange it for minimum effort gardening and will invest in some time saving items, like weed barriers.  It was supposed to have a water supply reconnected but a govt. moratorium killed that, pardon the pun.  I will grow items that have deep enough roots to manage with our inch of rain per week, which is most plants once they are established.  I'll establish them during periods of normally decent rains.

- In terms of the CSA, being new to this I will start small, taking only 10 shares, prepaid for 44 weeks of the year (2 weeks off per quarter).  As far as I know this would be Bermuda's first CSA.  It will be organic and targetted at 'foodies'.  Almost all the offerings will be heirlooms save potato, sweet potato.  I aim to provide to mix per each season from calorific (squash, corn, potato, sweet potato) to salad (lettuce, tomato, greens, onions, garlic etc.) to the occassional fruit (ground cherry anyone?).  Clients would need to pickup their produce from a fixed location on a fixed day of the week.  I've seen the CSA variation that allows users to pick their own produce out of selections.  Not going to do that right now.  I also see the ones where farmers buy from other farmers to maximize variety - I don't trust most other 'organic' farmers locally but would consider that for the few I do.

So, what are folks experiences on either side of the CSA deal?  What worked for you?  What didn't?  Is 10 shares too many to start with?  Given the nature of the business and my newness to the arena, I do intend to have a very clear customer agreement and discussion regarding the shared risk/reward aspect of the business.  Bumper crops are for the clients, failed crops we all share.

The other idea I am considering seperately and disctinctly, is a Farmer's Co-op where we can sell our produce direct to consumers.  The prices supermarkets given to farmer's is woeful.  The prices they charge to customers is also woeful.

[darkdwarf]

Untill I managed to make my entire two acres work for me, I used a local csa. You need to determine exactly how much you should produce per week and its worth, then you can determine how many customers you can take and at what price.  Now that I am working both acres fully, I give most of my "excess" produce to my neighbors, so that they know I only keep enough for my own family and they won't try to take what I do have a SHTF situation.

One way I found to increase rain retention is to have each plant in a slight depression so that it retains as much rainfall as possible. Also use natural mulch to help retain soil moisture. Dry grasses, lawn clippings, and leaves work well for this. I have also used 6 inch diameter PVC pipe cut in half (like rain gutters) with both ends capped and small holes drilled into the bottom to allow water to trickle out into your row of crops. I suppose rain gutters would work also if they are cheaper in your neck of the woods.

[The Future]

thanks darkdwarf.  what was your experience like when you were a csa customer?

[darkdwarf]

I only did it for two years, but the way we did was I paid $300 dollars for the season and each week as things ripened enough to be harvested my percentace was placed in containers I provided and I picked them up myself from the farm. for a higher fee I could have had the produce delived to my home. The nice thing about it was that even now I do not grow grains other than a few rows of corn, so I still participate for $100 for grains only.

I could get things I did not want to or could not grow myself. I also pay this farmer $1500 to raise and butcher a cow each year so I get a year plus supply of beef as well. Nice thing is I know there are no chemicals or anti-biotics added, however sometime cows do get sick and receive medicines, but I am informed when this happens and how much was given.  I was fasinated when I first heard of the CSA concept from this farmer and I believe it is the way to do business for fresh produce. Even though I have two acres of gardens myself I only grow what is easiest for me and only enough to meet my needs and my year's supply of stored food and have enough to help out family and neighbors.

[The Future]

classic

[Lady Lilya]

Maybe about 5 years ago I was a member of a CSA.  I chose it because the delivery location was in Manhattan, halfway between where my husband and I worked.  We met there and carried the stuff home together on the bus. 

The way the distribution was done, they put all the stuff in boxes on tables.  A sign said how much of each to take.  There was also a box where you could put anything from your share that you didn't want, or trade any of your items for one that had been left in the box. 

They also had a list of animal products you could order, but you had to arrange that in advance of the distribution date so that they would bring them.  And you had to pay extra for those, of course. 

[The Future]

cool.  good ideas.

[Beeherder]

  Go for it!
What a wonderful idea to start a business intended to feed and educate others. BRAVO!!
Was a member of a CSA for the past 5 years. When i met them i was just a Foodie apprentice and they taught me about things that are food which had never past my palate before, they taught me how to eat the harvest and preserve the bounty for after the harvest and perhaps most important of all they hosted an email list (this CSA was started before there was an Internet so the list was a big improvement over nothing) where the hostess offered suggestions for each week's harvest. The list would have postings about recipes, seasonings, kitchen tools, preserving, etc, some of them i posted here last summer. For the inexperienced Foodie the email list was essential.

That CSA has 320 paying members and 80 barterers. They work 4 of their 6 six acres and with that feed at least 400 people. They also sell at local health food stores (what an oxymoron). This has been an established business for almost 20 years so you should ask them what its like to grow. Barterers work every Saturday 7 am - 11 am, for 24  of 30 weeks. They distributed on 26 consecutive Saturdays, beginning with the greens in early May, from 11 am - 5 pm, with each item in heaping piles, members select and weigh their own produce every week, bring you own containers to carry the booty away. By mid summer it was two or three grocery bags full of produce every time and while they don't bother with an organic rating they are so far beyond organic that there is no comparison. The only reason i  did not stay with them is that i'm trying to do it here and fill in the gaps in my produce with Farmers Markets and roadside stands this year. From my perspective they provided as much or more education about food as they did actual food, and flavor? oh my sooooo much flavor in everything. Now i can barely eat non-organic commercial produce because it just has no flavor. Growing food is the most revolutionary thing you can do and if you can feed more than your own family you are the solution.

Grow For It! Just have a clear short contract posted so everyone can see it, saying what happens with the abundance and what happens when the hurricane wipes out your production for the next X many weeks. Simple easy to understand language, no legalese please. Your profit will likely come in many ways, ... besides monetary. Please tell us how things progress.

[The Future]

super (like a hive)

[wander]

I'm a member of a CSA also, I get a basket of goodies picked up at the farmers market about 2 miles from the house. $400. I also get a dozen eggs a week for an extra $75. Been a member for about 2 years. Love it and love the business model, I prefer to know my food provider by name.

[opsec]

Can you give us a more detailed price breakdown? This sounds to me like the true price of food that is produced independently of the oil economy. I'd like to have a realistic picture of that.

[Beeherder]

The Stonebridge Farm CSA charges $400 per year for a membership expected to feed two or more people with fresh veggies every week, no meat, no eggs, no fruit though all of those things are available through them from the original producers at prices set by the producers. Eggs $4/dz, mutton $10/lb, fruit was available but I don't recall the charges because the amounts delivered were just way more than a single person can deal with, at least without help. All producers are first name basis, all are way beyond organic, the mutton even has an organic rating.

One Saturday there was a vehicle parked when i pulled in there for pickup that had a bumper sticker:
KNOW FARMERS   
KNOW FOOD

and then when i came out there was a vehicle at the intersection with the bumper sticker
NO FARMERS
NO FOOD

If you don't grow it, why not get to know those who do grow it? Support local farms and you will have local food, seems so simple, and so fundamental. My corporate grocery bill is now less than 10% of what it once was. Farmers Markets and roadside stands around here are full of high quality farm products too so CSA is not the only answer.

[wander]

Every CSA is different, providing different veggies/meats.

I used http://www.localharvest.org/ to find mine.
I also occasionally purchase meat or other veggies from the local food coop: http://www.oklahomafood.coop/

For me, $400 gets me 1/2 share plus the eggs. It's every two week pickup . Here is his website to give you an idea: http://www.berrycreekfarm.us/csasite/default.html

[opsec]

Cool. I'm going to keep this in mind for when I get out of Nevada.

[wander]

The link didn't work as expected.. click "what to expect" on the left, you'll get pictures of the weekly haul.