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Appendices
Appendix A
Customer Service & Best Practices For CSA Farmers
• Talk to other CSA farmers for advice.
Ask those who have already done it. Find a mentor or apprentice at a CSA or market garden
first to see if it suits you. Look outside your region to reduce your risk of competition.
Experiment with your desired crops (if new to you) a season in advance to test for taste and
compatibility with climate and geography.
• Start small.
Start with a small subscriber group. Experiment to find a manageable cropping plan.
Understand the difference between farming and gardening; make sure you can manage
multiple crops before increasing shares.
• Start with enough capital.
Don’t expect to make money from the start.
• Have another source of income.
• Have long-term access to land close to an urban centre.
• Do not under-estimate the workload.
Enlist labour: family, friends, and World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms subscribers.
• Be prepared to work very hard.
It takes time to develop a CSA client list. Your customers can become your best recruiters.
Members can assist in distribution, harvesting, and outreach. Consider setting up compulsory
work as part of every share (for example, three days a season for a full share, two days for a half
share). Consider offering working shares for a reduced rate; offer learning opportunities, such
as how to preserve food, principles of organic growing; link work with social activities, such as
“weed & feed” or a work bee followed by a meal.
• Delegate what you can.
Rely on members for help with heavy workloads and subscriber outreach. Or consider set up a
rotating committee of subscribers to coordinate orders and drop-off sites.
• Think before you dig.
Research consumer interest before starting. Proximity to a large urban centre is essential for
sufficient customer interest. Transportation can become costly in time and money. If members
live at a distance, on-farm participation may be limited. Target 25- to 35-year olds with children
as the prime subscriber candidates.
• Spread yourself around and have backup sales outlets.
Grow excess veggies with some backup form of marketing for excess: farmers’ markets, farm
gate sales, local retailers, or buying clubs.
• Try to carry on through the winter.
In Alberta, as across Canada, the CSA season is no more than four months on average. Grow
vegetables that store well for autumn/winter subscribers. Consider selling to members on a
separate pay-to-play basis in winter. Investigate value-added options: canning, drying herbs,
flowers, and freezing.