I need your great ideas? Please :-)

[April Manier]

So we are positioning ourselves to start a CSA next year. For those of you who do not know what this is, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Folks buy a share of your farm at the beginning of the year and take the gamble with you. In return they get a box of goodies for about 30 weeks of the year.

I want to do mine a little differently. What I want from all of you is to dream big!

If you were a part pf a CSA what would you want in you baskets?
What do you like about your CSA?
What would you change about your CSA?
What cool events would you come to on the farm as part of the CSA and building community?

I'm not going to post any of my ideas because I want yours. Again, skies the limit! Lets get REALLY idealistic and push your dreams out!!!!

 

[sparkles2307]

I like the idea of CAS, and there are a few in our area, but they all want so much for a share... and I know its less than I spend on produce if I buy it at the store, but I'm not spending that amount ALL at ONCE which makes a huge difference.

The good old standby's in each basket (cukes, zucchini, lettuce, etc) and then maybe one or two or three fun things?

 

[newrenterCA]

I would like fuits and for the baskets to be in manegable sizes so the food will not go bad if I do not get to use it right away. Having cards with tips and ideas for the food in the basket would be great! If you give someone a lot of strawberries for example, include an index card that explains how they can use left over strawberries for a pie or canning and include a recipie or instructions, or a place they can find instructions etc. The more you help a "customer" the more likely they are to keep "buying" from you. Also, if you could become part of your school's AH or whatever it is and promote educational activies on the weekends or get teens to help manage the farm that would be great! you can teach them what it takes to really have a large garden/farm like that. They would come in once or twice a week for a couple hours and help pick the veggies or fruit or even just watering a section, looking for weeds, etc. The more people feel like they are involved the more proud they will be of the crop and the more they will want. Gives you a chance to expand if you want and to gain helping hands. I know I needed so many hours of community service to graduate my high school. Your local school may be the same way. Could be a lot more fun with the younger kids too. You may also be able to open up sections of your farm to "pick your own." Allow each family 1lb of strawberries, 2lbs of cucumbers etc. totally depends on how much you are growing. But you could share those profits with your "shareholders" or use it to buy more seeds etc!

So many ideas!

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Hhmmmm..... ideally, my basket would be full of $100 bills, but that is really pushing the boundaries, so...... Winter Squash ... You knew I was gonna say something about squash and or money, didn't you? Don't I always.

We have an annual event up here called Pioneer Day. Vendors and exhibitors come and set up stands in different parts of a farmer's field. Then tourists wander through and watch timber hewing, blacksmithing, field plowing, that sort of thing.

People love that sort of thing.

 

[897tgigvib]

Ya know, things like eggs, fresh milk or cream, even butter or cheese.

Things optional

RECIPES for things not common in the region, such as cutshort beans with recipes, collard greens with recipes

Fresh ground or milled grains

Deliveries for the elderly

Internships for students

Part time work for the un or under employed

Expanded lands for the CSA, such as on vacant lots or unused fields

CSA coop associations expanding and merging

CSA's including animal/plant farms

Oh, more berries!

Value added things such as dipped Strawberries

Oh yes, Sorghum Molasses

Fresh cured organic tobacco

Crafts made by CSA employees

People going out on the streets getting the homeless to some sort of work for food

CSA agricultural work/shelters for the unemployed...go nationwide with this one!

 

[897tgigvib]

There is beauty when the sky is the limit

 

[Kassaundra]

I am not familiar w/ this concept, if they are around here I have never heard of them. I get from your post the customer pays a fee and recieve a certain amount of the produce the gardens produce. The only question I can speak to would be what I would want to get in my weekly food basket:

Herbs

Unusual veggies or fruit (like purple carrots, or green cauliflower things you can't get in the store)

Edible flowers for cool salads

Fruit

Recipe ideas especially for some of the more unusual items

 

[Jared77]

Maybe host a canning party? As the berries come in, set a date and take so many reservations and show folks how to make jam or jelly. Or how to pickle something.

Odd colors of things is a good idea too as Kassaundra mentioned that will help you stand out.

One other thing might be to offer folks to come out and help pick to get a discount keep tabs on hours logged and offer a price discount for hours worked.

Include cut flowers, wild flowers, sunflowers something fun.

What about something different like chive vinegar or locally made soap?

Include info on how to dye brown eggs at Easter.....anything thats different and unique.

How about a small jar of homemade maple syrup? Or maple candy? Can you tell we have a lot of maple trees in our neck of the woods in Michigan? Something that you could make in a big batch and offer in smaller portions? Candied jalapenoes, salsa, anything different that many folks haven't gotten a handle on. Sun dried tomatoes also come to mind. Flavored oils is another one that you can make a big batch of and then portion out.

Send out a simple questionare with an area to write in feedback and PREPAY THE POSTAGE so people are more apt to fill it out and send it back. If they are renewing ask why? What did they like, or not like? More of, less of, what would make it better. If they are not signing back up why not?

One other thing would be take the time to make pretty labels for anything you can. Dress them up. Let people think they are getting something really special. Take the time if you send onions to braid them before sending them so they have a more rustic look and appeal. Little things like that will really help sell your CSA and seperate you from the rest of folks.

 

[momofdrew]

lots of variety...I would like meats, cheeses, fruits and berries, maybe flour or seeds/nuts and a good variety of veggies...with how to prepare them as a bonus...for instance I have never grown artichoke because I dont know how to use it... flowers

 

[April Manier]

These are ALL wonderful ideas. Some of them I have already in mind, like reduced shares for those who work at the farm, more fruits, and flowers.

Marshal- I love the idea of going nationwide with a program for ramblers.

Jared77- I love the idea of labels or ribbons. Just creative packaging all together. We want our actual boxes to be special too.

Kassundra- I hadn't thought of edible flowers other than squash blossoms, but you remind me of so many others that are fabulous!

I want to have a barter board linked on my site where folks in the CSA can post goods and services. The site would have recipes.

I am thinking of all sorts of classes, BUT I hadn't thought about the community service component at local schools!

These are great ideas. More Please!

What kind of herbs would you like in your baskets?