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CSA Community Supported Agriculture
One Grower’s Experience
Phil Hannay and Kathy Kubal
Trumpeter Swan Farm
Buffalo, MN
Upper Midwest Regional Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference
January 21 & 22, 2010
St Cloud, Minnesota
Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Wouldn’t It Be Nice...
• If customers committed to buying before you even started planting.
• If customers paid in advance.
• If you could bring perishables like strawberries to market and know you would sell out.
• If you could load up bulky items like winter squash knowing you would not bring any back home.
• If you could experiment with new vegetables knowing you would not get stuck with them by a skeptical public.
• If you could move an unexpected surplus more easily.
CSA - What Is It?
• Community Supported Agriculture– Customers in the local community support local
farms by paying, in advance, for the regular delivery of food throughout the entire growing season.
– Farmers in the local community, have sustainable growth with a loyal customer base, while producing food that meets the needs of those customers with little waste and reduced risk.
CSA - What Is It?
• Original Concept– Share The Risk– Share The Harvest
• Current Concept– Up Front Commitment– Committed Supply– Know Your Grower
• Current Status– spreading fast, high demand
CSA - Our Experience
• Getting Started– Pilot– Partnering
• Structure– Program– Selling Shares– Marketing– Delivery Options
CSA - Our Experience
• Customer Expectations– Is That All I Get?
• Yes, we can’t control the weather...
– I Don’t Like Turnips!• Mother said to “eat your vegetables”...
– Why Don’t You Have Sweet Corn?• Dry spring hampered germination 2 months ago...
CSA - Our Experience
• Our Experience and Opinions– One on One Customer Relationship– Picking Full Bore for a Bad Market Day– Customers Paid Promptly– Feel The Love– We Need More Communication– We Need More Variety– We Need More Consistent Supply of Basics
CSA - Why and Why Not
• Advantages and Benefits– Up Front Commitment
• Solidify Planting Plan
• Justify Equipment Expenses
• Support Hiring Extra Help
– Committed Market Share• Smaller Grower in a Big Market
– Simplified Harvest Planning• Good Market Regardless of Weather Conditions
CSA - Why and Why Not
• Disadvantages and Downsides– Week after Week after Week after Week
• Committed Delivery - no skipping markets
• Gotta Pick it All - no slacking off
– Those Darn Customers• Managing Expectations demands People Skills
• Extra Communication
• Farming Conversations and Farm Visits
CSA Checklist - Is It Right For Me?Must be able to say “Yes” to All
• Commitment– Can I deliver week after week for entire
season?– Can I grow the variety and quantity to fill
the shares?– Do I have a backup plan should I
experience crop setbacks or failures?
CSA Checklist - Is It Right For Me?Must be able to say “Yes” to All
• Transparency– Am I willing to openly answer questions about
my operations?• Cultural Practices - how do I grow my products?
• Fertilizing and Spraying - specifically what and when?
• Origin and Storage of my products?
– Am I willing to have Farm Visits?
CSA Checklist - Is It Right For Me?Must be able to say “Yes” to All
• Customer Service– Do I want a one-on-one relationship with my
customers?– Do I prefer “retail” instead of “wholesale”?– Will I make the extra effort to communicate?– Am I willing to be flexible and make exceptions
to accommodate customer desires or alternate pickup needs?