|
|
Genesee Valley Organic Community Supported Agriculture |
The farmer is the man, the farmer is the man
Lives on credit till the fall.
Then they take him by the hand, and they lead him from the land,
And the banker is the one who gets it all.
Thanks to the CSA, that song does not apply to Peacework! Every fall, the GVOCSA asks you to make a deposit to hold your place for the next season. For most of you, a $50 deposit will not seem like a lot of money (we hope. Anyone who can only afford less, should feel free to offer what is comfortable.) Added together, those deposits mean a lot of money for the farm at a time when we really need it. In January, 2001, the GVOCSA treasurer gave the farm a check for $4000 from the previous fall's deposit money. That completely covered the price of our seed purchases and some of the supplies that we get through a NOFA bulk order. To be ready for spring, we buy and must pay for seed in January. Purchasing such inputs as row cover, alfalfa meal, and fish emulsion through the bulk order saves us a lot of money. Many farms must borrow money every year to pay for start-up expenses. Hence the folk song quoted above.
To produce enough of the right balance of vegetables for the CSA, we have to plan in advance. In order to plant cover crops in a way that will help and not hinder planting crops in the spring, we have to know by mid-summer, what crops we will be planting the next year. The amount of seed we buy determines the specific amount of each crop. So it is essential for us farmers to know how many shares we are growing for when we make our seed orders in January. That is another reason why an early commitment from you as members is helpful to the farm.
Also in January, the GVOCSA Core negotiates the number of shares and the share price with the farmers. The Core makes a commitment to the farm to sell a certain amount of shares to cover the farm and CSA budgets. The members of the Core feel morally and financially responsible for recruiting that number of shares. In April and May, it is challenging for them to make sure that there are enough members.
There is always some turnover of members. Every year, approximately 15% of the members move. For unknown reasons, more than 15% moved out of the Rochester area last year, including some people who had been members of the CSA for many years. Some members take a year or two off to get settled with a new baby or two, or to travel. A few members find their lives too hectic to encompass the CSA. So, we have to find replacements. The best method of recruiting has been for you to invite your friends to join. Most of our new members come from word of mouth. CSA membership spreads up and down streets, and through congregations, organizations, and work places!
If every 2001 member who wants to continue with the CSA in 2002 signed up in the fall, the Core would know exactly how much recruiting is necessary. And the farmers would have a better idea of how much seed to order. Please help us out by making the huge mental leap of thinking about your late May meals in November! You can sign up during the last two weeks of distribution, at the November 11 end of season banquet, or send a check to Judy Emerson, 130 Monroe Parkway, Rochester, New York.
Copyright © GVOCSA 2000. All rights reserved.