Subject: re:csa start-up & failures

From: "Dori Green" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 09:46:46 EST

Aw heck, go for it.  If you're not completely sure that you can cover 
expenses straight from the CSA, take a third-shift job.  It'll save you that 
$12.95 for a miner's headlamp from the Northern catalog.

The only way to really succeed with a CSA, IMNSHO after ten years here, is 
to recognize that it is akin to a religious Call and there's no sense in 
pushing against the Hand of the Creator.  Sure, there's free will, but if I 
end up doing it on a borrowed city lot I will always be getting people 
connected with the people and land who produce their food because my Call 
has told me to do this.

So do it and know Whose power is really behind you, take confidence in that, 
and come here to the List for help and/or a crying towel when you need it.

Dori Green
Ash Grove Community Farm
http://www.ic.org/agrove

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From: [email-masked] (BHFarm)
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 17:02:35 -0500

hello
i have been reading all the negative & positive & just fence sitting advice
for "newbie-never farmed a day in their life farmers-who happen to want to
start a csa with ALOT of members".
i do not for a second believe that the community will automatically come.
the customers/members from the old owners probably had to be asked & worked
on before they became regular members. I have seen many in our area try &
fail when they DID have a lot of experience in farming-also in business in
general.
you must be willing to give up at least the equivalent of 1 full time job &
devote it solely to this csa if it will be for that many people-also believe
that the vegetables etc.. do not know that you have no experience-they will
NOT co-operate...they just don't as we know. you should be ready to have
many disappointments to go along with the successes. I also think that you
must realize that ALL the old members will have to learn how u work-you must
earn their money in many ways-they must know that you are in fact doing what
it was they signed up for in the first place-the old places rules etc...None
of this is negative, just cautionary. i have done many things on this farm
that i was warned about-of course many were right & many more wrong BUT we
could afford to make some mistakes & have spent 2 years paying for the ones
we couldn't.
i hope you  (list) read some of the books Liz has recommended-we have-wish
we had read them sooner.

best of luck & good growing!

zalia
"farmer to the stars"
[email-masked]