Thecommunity - support agriculture modelof agriculture is arguably the most ideal way to sell food for thought . In core , you are getting paid in bulk for veggies you have n’t grown yet . You are securing part of your income ( thus budget ) for an entire twelvemonth . Plus , you get the opportunity to acquire a relationship with your customer , look out their children grow and become a part of their lives . Maybe nonsuch is not a adept enough watchword — it ’s sodding .
The reality , however , is that it ’s not always easy to satiate up your CSA membership slot . it ’s a hatful to ask of someone to pay upfront — even in part — for their food , and for that reason , you may at some point bump yourself struggling to fill up all of your CSA post . So if that is the case , or ever becomes the case , here ’s a series of doubt you’re able to ask yourself if the CSA just is n’t coming together . In fact , they ’re peachy questions to revisit every couple age or so to keep your farm business moving ahead .
Getting New Customers
How’s Your Branding?
I want you to abuse back and bet at what you have now . Your logo , for instance : Is it clean and memorable ? Is yourwebsitelogical and navigable ? Do your CSA broadsheet toss off ? How are your business board ? All of this matter for pull new customer . When you take this step back to analyze your stigmatisation , have a friend , an documentary alien or even an be CSA fellow member tell you what they call back . The reason your spots are n’t filling up could be as but as someone not feeling compel to take your card from the coffee bean workshop .
Are You Everywhere?
Do you have your aeronaut on every residential district board in town ? Have you sent out a press release to all the major local publishing ? Do you have commercial enterprise cards in every gymnasium , CrossFit studio , brewery , measure and coffee berry shop ? What about subroutine library ? ( Librarians are , in our experience , some of our most patriotic customers . ) Wine store ? born food stores ? Health section ? These are all free way to get your name out . Anywhere you could put a card or circular is where you should be .
How’s Your Social Media Game?
Yes , unfortunately , a Fannie Merritt Farmer now not only has to be a salesman and horticulturalist , but tech - savvy to boot . fortunately , thesocial mediayou call for to read for have a successful job is fairly straightforward . Facebook and Instagram are sufficient . Twitter and Snapchat are n’t a tough idea , either . Do n’t go nuts , just posting moving picture of your folk and your farm every week with a little taradiddle about what you have going on is enough to keep people engaged . count even start out a Facebook group for CSA members to share recipe . If you keep a web log , keep the substance light and unpolitical . Pictures of their food and their farmers is what most people want .
Keeping Old Customers
Is Your Product Consistent?
Once you have customers , treasure them . Really check that that everything you give , to the best of your abilities , is sportsmanlike and of the highest possible quality . rocky weather years can make this hard , but a dear rapport will help them understand . mass join CSAs for the experience as much as the food — but they still need to invite safe food or else they wo n’t come back .
Are You Giving Too Much Food?
husbandman love to partake the bounty , butpeople hate to waste it . If a client end up throw out lucre after lettuce every workweek then they ’re going to feel guilty and potentially skip the CSA next yr . If you ca n’t help yourself , give them a way of life to bring their excess back to you . You could provide compost buckets or set up a food swap system so they ’re not waste it , just turning what they ca n’t eat back into food .
Have You Involved Them In Your Farm?
Do you portion out your farm with your client ? I am not just asking , “ Do they come to the farm ? ” Rather , I ’m expect if you ask for them to take part in some of the decisions — make them feel like farmers ? make up a customer finger as though your farm is their farm is a great way to keep them coming back . They will see their decision — perhaps more fruit in the basket , more asparagus or other perennial — over metre and roll in the hay they played a role in that .
