CSA vs Farmers Markets
boulderbelt
9 years ago
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Comments (18)
2ajsmama
9 years agoMark
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Prices to Restaurants VS. Farmers Markets and other Places
Comments (6)when I sold to restaurants I would give case prices on case lots, otherwise they paid full retail. Most were happy to be able to by less than a case of most things from me and had no issues with the price as the produce was very fresh and better quality than they could get from their purveyors. Last year, though I dealt with a "fine dining"place that wanted to pay nothing for high quality and like to argue with me about my prices. they went out of business after 4 months, i suspect because their vegetable quality in their dishes was pretty awful (the one time I ate there the veggie side dish was pretty much inedible). I would not have dealt with them at all but they were local to me and i really was delighted that such a place has opened in my podunk, redneck town and actually sorry when it closed even after having an awful time with them....See MoreCSA farmers
Comments (32)Loodean, I think you've got it about right. Labor is a crucial factor, and those with weak bodies or weak motivation don't make it. I tend to not have enough motivation, so my week is sometimes busy and sometimes not, but the CSA is something that takes a lot of mental motivation as well as physical. I spend about 3-4 hours a week just figuring out what my 20 people will be getting, taking into account their dislikes. I won't do that again...allowing them to choose what they don't want. I think I've mentioned it before that one didn't want 11 items throughout the season and one didn't want 10. About half excluded over 4 items. I currently have 20 households, but only 13 equivalent full shares, as there are many halves, some half every week, some full every other week. Changing to all fulls will give extra income, plus make the organizational things easier, I hope. It is just as time consuming to fill half shares as fulls (almost). All the bookkeeping, bagging, pick-up/delivery time is there, without the full share income. I, also, do this by myself. I am 64 years old, although a fairly spry one, but age is working against me as the years go on. Since this is my first year at CSA, I'm not sure how large I want to get. Actually, I plan on a maximum of 10 shares for 2007, thinking I'll bring in what I want to cover my taxes and some of the health insurance (until I qualify for medicare, but that also is deceiving as Part B is, I believe another $90, plus supplemental which can run as high as $230-250 as I understand it.) My week: (I work as a part time reporter, mainly to insure a small paycheck each week all year long). Monday I start to organize on paper what each person will be getting and then make sure that the product is in the field to support that. Monday night I have to do reporting duties for about 2-3 hours. Tuesday, I need to go to the county seat to get more reporting info, then come back and harvest. One Tuesday evening once a month I need to cover a meeting which takes about 4 hours, plus write up an article before 9:00 Wed. morning. Wed: Two people pick up at the farm around 9:30. Twice a month is a meeting to cover for the paper, from 10:00 until...then I go to lunch with some folks (my only social outlet) but I also take 5-7 shares in and drop off on the way, depending on if it is a light week or heavy (when the half share people doing every other week get theirs). Wed. afternoon/evening, I harvest more, but relax a little bit too. Thursday, I finish harvesting for the Thursday crowd which can be anywhere from 8-13 bags. I drop 1-3 off in one direction from the farm, then backtrack and drop off the remaining at the county court house as workers leave work for the day. Another share picks up in the evening. When I have enough to harvest, I then do more harvesting for the Friday farmers market, although I have not been going most of the time for the second half of the season because I don't have any excess material. In fact, I've been doing two trips a week (50 miles round trip) to buy in locally produced corn and fruit, cider and winter squash, as some of my crops were wiped out during flooding at the end of June. In between and on weekends, I do gardening. I, too, am inundated with weeds (errrr, that's cover crops, right?). I'm hoping to buy 100 bales of mulch hay to use for fall mulching to get my perennials (strawberries, raspberries, asparagus) under control. I still need to prepare a spot to plant garlic in the next couple of weeks. Did 2200 cloves last year, but will do only about half that this time. Labor is my biggest problem as mentioned before, but this year Mother Nature sure put a crimp in the gardens/farms around here, washing out acres (other farms) and gullying so bad some areas will never be cropped again. I lost all my winter squash, plus soil, plus other things did the poorest they've been since I started many years ago. So, loodean, I understand your circumstances, and think you are right. The books never talk about the time involved, especially in the smaller CSAs where tractors aren't part of the equipment, and where there is a single grower, as opposed to a couple or even a family with children to help. I also agree that hiring people is such a drag that I'm not about to do it again. I'll hire out tilling if necessary, or fence repair, but not planting, weeding, harvesting, etc. The time involved to organize, explain, and supervise doesn't help the bottom line. This week will be my last for the season, and I am sooo looking forward to not having to do it for awhile. I'd like the extra cash flow from a fall share, but this year I don't even have the product. And I am burned out. There is always next year, however. And I too, love doing the gardening part. That doesn't mean I don't get tired of it as a continuous thing. Luckily winter helps get those gardening juices going again. Ann...See MoreI've got the fall Farmers Market blues.....
Comments (18)Friday night was our last market, the rain held off, it wasn't really cold (til the end), but not many people there (vendors or customers). This despite last week's market being canceled due to rain. I had *beautiful* crisp green bell peppers, estimated could hold about 3/4C - 1C of stuffing so picked them, only sold TWO (and 6 bananas, a few jals and cherry bombs, and those were to a single guy who buys $2 worth from me every week)! One lady told me the bells were small, she was used to grocery store peppers. I told her I thought these were good-sized, refrained from saying that the grocery store peppers weren't (for the most part) organically grown, were probably waxed, and a week or more old, not 5 hrs old (I picked in the AM)! But the same lady thought $6 for a jar of jam was too much, I did tell her then that I could sell wild blackberries for $5/pint in season, so had to charge $1 extra for the jar, sugar, etc. to make the jam. Sorry for the rambling - had to vent. I guess I have lots of peppers to freeze, pickle, and make jam/jelly from (I did manage to sell 3 jars of pepper jelly and 1 fruit jam - bad night, I usually sell more). Plus tomatoes - another lady thought $3 for a 14oz (average) Pink Brandywine was too much, no one else even asked. Guy next to me was selling smaller heirloom-looking (squatty) ones, don't know how he did but still had lots left when he packed up. But I *have* been asked to supply the preserves for the Historical Society's Tavern night. Maybe make some pickled peppers? I'll start a new thread....See MoreWinter Farmers Market
Comments (19)We did have our first winter market. It was held indoors. Across the street from where our regular market is held. It went well. We had 4 vendors. While it doesn't seem like much, each vendor was completely different. We had alot of selections and variety. We had our honey and honey products guy, our cheese and baked goods person, our buffalo, tomatoes and peppers person and me with beef, pork, jams, jellies, lettuce, spinach, arugula, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, radishes, beets, carrots, napa cabbage, bok choy, and kale. It was a decent day, not as much as I had wanted, but better than I thought. Many people wanted to know if we were going to do this all winter, we said no. It was a one time deal. However, we directed them to our online market. It takes so much time to do a market. It was open from 9-12:30. I was up a 6:00 and at the place by 7:45, set up the tables and sold the whole time, tore down and cleaned up and was out by 1:15. I couldn't do that every week. Maybe if we had more helpers and more vendors. I think the market is there, but we have to open it up to an online format. Thanks for all the suggestions. Maybe next year we can set it up for multiple times and plan ahead! Jay...See Morejrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
9 years agojrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
9 years ago2ajsmama
9 years agobarrie2m_(6a, central PA)
9 years agoMark
9 years ago2ajsmama
9 years agorenais1
9 years agorenais1
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9 years agoboulderbelt
9 years agoSlimy_Okra
9 years agorandy41_1
9 years ago2ajsmama
9 years agoSlimy_Okra
9 years agoboulderbelt
9 years ago
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