I have the market forms but have never figured out how to use them but than i am a spreadsheet moron, they make zero sense to me and because i have lost several harddrives and everything on them in the past I have decided to be a luddite when it comes to record keeping and use paper and pencil and it wirkls for me.

What you write about CSA just makes me firmer in my decision not to do a CSA again. If people want fresh produce they can buy it at either my farm store (and visit a working farm too boot!) or at one of the two farmers' markets I attend.

This dates me about 20 years, but memory is that ATTRA's original name was Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas or something close to that.

ohiorganic,
I didn't understand your comment about what had been written confirms your idea not to do a CSA again. What specifically were you referring to?
Ann

I know a fellow vendor who uses Market Farm Forms and highly recommends them. His only question now is the one he has is old enough it came on a floppy. Don't know if it comes on CD now or not.

Ann, we came to the same conclusion on a CSA as Ohiorganic. Our concept of the CSA was member participation either in some work and also just in social get-togethers. We discovered our customers just wanted good local produce and did not want to be "burdened" with any other activities, work or social. So we just went to being a subscription farm, offered only the produce and meat people really knew and wanted, and had no other group activities. Maybe it's different other places but here that's what worked for us. We're starting a new market farm this summer and in '08 will try and re-establish the subscription service again. Tom

Anniew,

I am referring to this
"One study found that the expectation of CSA farmers was different from that of the participants, particularly regarding the "community" part of the philosophy. In the article�s words: "Shareholders (members) did not find the social and aesthetic meaning in the CSA system that the investigator did, but viewed it primarily as a source of fresh produce." Moreover, most of the people who said before the season began that they wanted to get involved in the farm never actually made it out to the farm."

That most CSA members want nothing to do with the CSA farm, that they seem to not care about their disconnection with their food (Which was one of the top reasons I did a CSA-to reconnect eaters with the farm). So CSA while supported monetarily by people are by no means supported by a community which implies the members interact with each other and the CSA farm has much more than mere money support from members.

Gotcha ohiorganic.
I too think my CSA is really just subscription farming. Actually, last year was my first year at CSAing and I didn't really want people involved, as it was bad enough organzing myself, let alone others who might work on the farm. I still feel the same way.
However, I feel that they are interested in good, fresh food, and I'm interesting in supply good, fresh food, so that is enough "community support" for my purposes. They appreciate it, and I get to produce for a local clientel. This in turn supports the larger community since the fee they pay is recycled at least one more time through me.
I'm sure several of them are also happy with the convenience as I deliver most shares during my normal trips to town (or at least coordinate the two). Everyone is less than a mile (most only a few hundred feet) off the main road, and others pick up where they work (the court house) at the end of the work day. Only 3 pick up at the farm and that usually takes up more of my time than all the rest combined.
Weather was terrible here this season (floods and weeks of rain), so I'm hoping for a better year in 2007.
Ann