It all depends on how & that the proposed $800/ share / yr covers--- 1) How many weeks, how many pounds, etc. over the growing season. Are the boxes uniform, or basic + XX lbs of whatever the customer wishes of the available foods? Some might prefer more carrots or lettuces, but the grower needs to know in advance of sowing. Then there is the financing -- are half shares available or partnerships??? Do members pay a fee to join (partly refundable or not? to give the farm some growing capital, or additional for long-term development, eg greenhouses, machinery, refrigeration/packing & storage facilities, etc) Do members pay half down by the seeding time, with monthly in advance payments or once a year in the spring payments??? Do members who provide labor in growing or harvesting get credits for discounts (up to 5- 10%??) maybe --- Does the CSA run additional fundraising events or supplementary sidelines?? eg harvest potluck dinners, etc??? Do you see why an experienced farm manager or team, plus a dedicated accounting/paperwork staff team is so vital to the success of the CSA & why there are so few with DECADES of experience?? It usually takes several years of finetuning & experience to make everything work somewhat smoothly, but growing food isn't widget making... But each little effort leads to better experiences for the whole -- so also check the library for books & articles of actual life stories of CSAs as examples... Good growing to all in 2009!!! kaythegardener -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20090104/a4354a89/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
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