CSA as a Community Service

[Guest guest]

There are many comments, and here's some more.

 

--- SCook wrote:

> Kate,

> I wish more than anything that your beautiful

> ideals could be translated

> into economic fact. Unfortunately, Americans spend

> less of their personal

> income on food than any other population. As far as

> other farmers in my

> community, they all have other day jobs and

> political agendas. They refuse

> other local growers admittance to our Farmers Market

> because they don't want

> competition. They refuse to provide our Market

> customers with the inventory

> and selection customers ask for in market surveys

> because they don't want

> competition.

> As a dedicated and committed farmer, I have to

> commute to Seattle Markets

> where many customers shop because inventory and

> selection are there. Our

> local Farmers Market has a very small following.

> The average increase in

> gross sales for Markets in this state was 20 - 30%.

> Our Market was stagnant

> in sales this year. Next year, three farmers will

> not be returning to our

> local market, myself included.

> I have committed thousands of hours to

> developing our local Market. I'm

> president of our local Farmers' Market Association.

> I lobbied our City to

> build a world class Farmers Market site. I worked

> with the Downtown Merchant

> Association to create a cooperative atmosphere. But

> I cannot seem to educate

> my local colleagues in marketing strategies because

> we cling to our fear of

> poverty. The fear that if anyone else benefits,

> then I will loose is

> pervasive in this society. This type of thinking is

> wrong, but pervasive.

> I surrender! I don't sell at the Market I

> helped to create because it

> fails to serve both the consumers and many local

> growers. I won't be on the

> Board of Directors next year. The Association may

> well loose its 501-C6

> status as a nonprofit organization. Oh well, I

> learned a lot in the process.

> Any fool can learn from their own mistakes.

> Wise people learn from

> others. I hope others will realize that limiting

> the service area of a

> Farmers Market is a disservice to both consumers and

> farmers. I think you

> agree that we need to expand our cooperation and

> stop viewing other growers

> as competition.

> Since my revenue sources are as diverse as my

> cropping systems, then by

> decreasing my subscriptions, I am able to increase

> my production of value

> added products which have six times the profit

> margin of produce. It is very

> likely that in time we will discontinue our

> subscription service completely.

> For now, the current land based cost of production

> lets us keep the farm and

> feed 30 families. Yippee!!

> I believe I am doing a community service. My

> rs are grateful

> that they can get my produce and still afford their

> SUVs. May God bless all

> the other farmers in my community. May we learn to

> release our clenched

> fists from the small markets we now have in order to

> receive the abundance of

> the universe with an open hand.

>

> Art Biggert

> Ocean Sky Farm

>

> << Just some thoughts on the above........if your

> true costs would lead you to

> charge $1000, then so be it. Lowering the number of

> subscriptions you sell

> will only increase your production costs per share,

> will it not ? There is

> nothing wrong with charging what you need to in

> order to make a living. If

> you keep your prices low as a "community service",

> you are not doing any

> favors to either the "average citizen" or the other

> farmers who are also in

> your community. The "average citizen" needs to pull

> their heads out of the

> clouds and realize that this is how much money it

> costs to grow wholesome

> foods that aren't full of chemical residue, that

> supports their local

> farmers, that helps to ensure that your farm stays

> a farm, etc. etc. The

> farmers in your community should also base their

> price on sales, and not the

> fact that you charge such and such, so they should

> price themselves around

> the same.

>

> Kate Johnson

> Philomath, Oregon

> >>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

>>. They refuse

> > other local growers admittance to our Farmers Market

> > because they don't want

> > competition. They refuse to provide our Market

> > customers with the inventory

> > and selection customers ask for in market surveys

> > because they don't want

> > competition.

 

As someone who just voted for freezing membership at our Sat market, I

would like to say why. Overriding consideration is that we literally

didn't have space for anyone new, but the other reason is that we spent

years developing the flow of customers, and go out early in the season and

stay out late in the fall servicing those customers, when sales don't

really justify being there, in order to have a good flow during peak

season. Then what happens is in August someone wants to show up and dump

surplus sweet corn and tomatoes at under market prices, which kills slaes

for those who built up the market. Then they come with a trailor load of

pumpkins in late September and kill that market too (pumpkins can be

profitable for local growers as they aren't easy to ship in from other

areas). So we do all the sacrifice and the come when it's convenient crowd

skims off the nectar. So yes, we are going to limuit the amount of

vendors.

 

We are still open to new vnedors for the Wed. market, and have considered

opening a third market if enough steady growers desire it. Key word -

steady. These comments of course are highly variable based on local

circumstances.

 

 

 

> > Since my revenue sources are as diverse as my

> > cropping systems, then by

> > decreasing my subscriptions, I am able to increase

> > my production of value

> > added products which have six times the profit

> > margin of produce. It is very

> > likely that in time we will discontinue our

> > subscription service completely.

> > For now, the current land based cost of production

> > lets us keep the farm and

> > feed 30 families. Yippee!!

 

We sell, roughly 1/3 veggies, 1/3 flowers, 1/3 value added (crafted

hard shell gourds) at our FM. By dollar value. By volume or weight, way

higher on the veggies.