csa farming

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by missf, Dec 3, 2008.

  1. missf

    missf Junior Member

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    I am looking on any information anyone has on CSA farming. please feed me the knowledge you have as I will be very aprreciative.
    May your days be peaceful ones
     
  2. elmejor

    elmejor Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    what do you want ot know about community supported agriculture farming, plzz state your questions, i can help you with it.
     
  3. trimnut2

    trimnut2 Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    Yo elmejor Thanks for the offer. I'll jump in and ask two questions.

    Do you know of an operating example of a CSA in Australia?
    If so how long has that CSA been operating?

    Thanks
     
  4. PULSE

    PULSE Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    In Brisvegas we have the wonderful Food Connect. CSA at its best.
     
  5. PULSE

    PULSE Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    In Brisvegas we have the wonderful Food Connect. CSA at its best.
     
  6. missf

    missf Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    HI , FOOD CONNECT IS A MIDDLE MAN. Im wanting to know if anyone is doing the traditional csa farming here in australia.
    If so how they set it up and are going about. Direct from farmer to consumer with no middle man.
    and any other info you may have on it. thanks
     
  7. foggyforge

    foggyforge Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    Hi,missf-i know of two small box -csa- i was told one is being run from Moora-Moora in Healesville -Vic.
    I recommend you buy,beg or borrow the "83 recording of the PDC by Bill M. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5805
    this mp3 has a lot of information also suggestions on how to set up farm club (csa)
    there are also mp3 can be downloaded from -deconstructing dinner - https://deconstructingdinner.libsyn.com/ ... y=podcasts
    do a search on csa there are a few .
    Google search -community supported agriculture,mp3 > https://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&c ... l&hs=ITv&q
    there are a few there as well.
    hope this will start you off
     
  8. elmejor

    elmejor Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    well, trimnut i am not very sure of the examples but i think somerville has developed an ecovillage for CSA and they are operating since last seven years
     
  9. IntensiveGardener

    IntensiveGardener Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    Hi missf,
    Around here there are several established CSA schemes. I run a small scheme and deliver boxes of seasonal produce to customers in the surrounding towns. I only do 10 to 20 boxes per week but it provides a stable income from the farm and to some extent it insulates me from the fluctuations in market prices. I know that there is a larger farm near daylesford which provides about 100 boxes per week. The vegie box schemes run by middle men are not the same. The produce is not locally grown but is bought at market in the city and transported up here. They are simply businessmen trying to make a few dollars by tapping into the market created by real CSA farmers.
    My advice on running a CSA scheme is this:
    * don't give credit but rather have people pay a week in advance.
    * establish a group of customers who are not too fussy and are not about to change their minds from one week to the next. Its a little hard to plan for a group which is constantly changing in size. Its also a nightmare to get 20 people all calling up trying to customize their boxes.
    * At the same time encorage some customer feedback.
    * Try to establish as few delivery points as possible so as to use less time and fuel driving around. I deliver to one house in town which distributes the boxes amoung 5 of their friends.
    * have your farm open to customers who want to come and help of see how their food is grown. This often eliminates the need for expensive certification.
    cheers,
    IG
     
  10. missf

    missf Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    thankyou Ig . appreciate the help.MF
     
  11. Mumchook

    Mumchook Junior Member

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  12. Phil Hansen

    Phil Hansen Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    Hi there,
    i ran a CSA for a few years (on leased land) near Castlemaine, Vic.
    Unless you have an absolutley committed membership base, or core group, it is extremley difficult to make it work. You also need to be very well set up with infrastructure etc. I grew up to 20 baskets a week, 52 weeks a year, supplementing low winter yields with preserves from the summer cropping.
    I believe CSAs to be the most community oriented and sustainable methods of providing clean food locally.
    Unfortunatley my operatio ended when a freeway was built through the farm I was leasing on!!
    There is heaps and heaps and heaps of easily accessable info about CSAs around the world.
    The best model (in my opinion) is to have a CSA that is driven from community demand, as they will generally put their money forward to get it established and be happy to pay before each season starts, rather than treat it like all other shops. The farmer needs to invest, so that he/she may reap.
    Good luck,
    Phil
     
  13. elmejor

    elmejor Junior Member

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    Re: csa farming

    well whats the name of the farm you are talking about. i didnt hear about any such farms there in my last visit. sionce how londg it has been in operations?
     

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