An insight into 'Community Assisted Agriculture'...
----- Original Message -----
From: Lucy Goodman-Owsley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [organicfarmers] Digest Number 24
I have been doing a small CSA for the past 3 years along with sales to
healthfood stores, resturants and at farmer's markets. The CSA makes up
about 10% of our gross income. If you have never had a market garden do not
do a CSA for about 3 to 6 years. I was about 4 years into market gardening
before deciding to do a CSA. it is much better to learn how to grow and
market your produce through selling at farmer's markets and perhaps to
resturants before trying out a CSA.
If you want to make money CSA is not the avenue, or at least I haven't
figured out how to make one work. I think if we could enrole about 200
families it would work but we are having big problewms finding 20 families
and hanging on to them.
I feel that CSA is a way to0 reconnect the consumer with the farm and having
them out to the farm to do some work and for fun events is a good way to
start this. My problem is we have had lots members that don't get this
concept, no matter how many times I go over it with them, no matter how many
fliers i print, no matter how I plead with them. so they never come to the
farm other than to pick up their food. I feel that to deliver is to have a
subscription service. there is nothing wrong with a subscription service, it
just ain't a CSA.
There is a wonderful list for CSA [EMAIL PROTECTED] I cannot
remember how to subscribe but if you send a blank e-mail (no subject,) with
the word help in the body thay will send you info on how to subscribe. At
any rate there are lots of very experienced CSA farmers on that list with
lots of knowledge.
Lucy Goodman-Owsley
Boulder Belt CSA
New Paris, OH
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
Organic Farming and Gardening Forum:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb135705
Want Social Change? Join a CSA!
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