Transcript Promoting Workplace CSA’s in the Southern Adirondacks

Promoting Workplace
CSA’s in the Southern
Adirondacks
Laura McDermott, Capital District Vegetable and Small Fruit Program
Teresa Whalen, Adirondack Harvest
What we will cover today:
• Introduce project partners
• Introduce project
• What is a CSA?
• Why would I be interested in this project?
• How will this project benefit my community?
• How can I learn more?
Cornell University
Cooperative Extension
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/
Cornell Small Farms Program
• Funder
• Create many guides for new and alternative farmers
• Sponsor Beginning Farmer on-line courses
• Much more!
• http://blogs.cornell.edu/smallfarms/
Adirondack Harvest
• http://www.adirondackharvest.com/
- envisions a picturesque and productive working landscape
connecting local farmers to their communities and regional
markets.
- goals are to increase opportunities for profitable, sustainable
production and sale of high quality food and agricultural
products, and to expand consumer choices for locally produced
healthy food.
- This mission ensures the future preservation and growth of
our open farmland while providing a diversity of healthy food
products for consumers.
Adirondack Harvest activities
include:
• Rutabaga Festival
• Landowner/Farmer
match program
• Adirondack Harvest
cookbook
• Farm to Restaurant
Distribution System
• Farm Fresh Foods
Maps
• Farmers Market poster
• Provide educational support for local farms
• Educational meetings
• Outreach through classes and written articles
• Certification training for pesticide application and Good
Agricultural Practices implementation
• Develop production guidelines for new crops
• Troubleshooting
• Scout for pests
• Field research
What is a CSA?
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA):
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market avenue for local farmers
avoids the “middleman”
consumers purchase shares prior to the season
wide variety of distribution schemes
allows consumers to share in the benefits and risks of farming
Benefits to Consumers:
• Eat food harvested within 24 hours of delivery – more flavor
and vitamins not to mention it lasts longer!
• get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• consumers are encouraged to visit the farm – you get to see
how and where your food is grown!
• children favor food from "their" farm
• develop a relationship with the farmer who is often a part of
the community
Benefits to farmers:
• Redistributes time spent on marketing to
the beginning of the season
• Pre-season payment allows more cash
flow when it is needed
• Know the people that eat your food!
Variations possible
• "mix and match," or "market-style" CSA
• members load their own boxes with some
degree of personal choice.
• extra produce donated to a food bank
• CSAs aren't confined to produce.
• Options exist for shares of eggs,
homemade bread, meat, cheese, fruit,
flowers or other farm products along with
their veggies.
• non-farming third parties are setting up
CSA-like businesses, where they act as
middle men and sell boxes of local (and
sometimes non-local) food for their
members
Shared Risk
• the idea that "we're in this together" remains. – but varies
from one CSA to another
• the idea of shared risk is part of what creates a sense of
community among members, and between members and the
farmers
• most CSA farmers feel a great sense of responsibility to their
members – CSA members often get served first
Average market value per CSA delivery
*
CSA 1
CSA 2
CSA 3
Farmers market
$14.95
$15.22
$14.75
Food cooperative
$17.24
$18.10
$15.94
Natural food store
$18.75
$19.04
$17.87
Chain grocery
$14.97
$16.76
$15.52
Warehouse supermkt.
$11.84
$10.87
$10.25
* These values do not include produce delivered as optional extras by any of the CSA farms or produce picked by members at
regular you-pick days at CSA 3.
CSA produce cost compared to
other markets
Based on a 13-week comparison. Positive values show how much more, and
negative values show how much less, a CSA member paid for produce relative to
the other outlets.
Farmers mkt.
Co-op
Nat. food store
Grocery
Supermarket
CSA 1
-$52.80
-$107.76
-$144.00
-$53.28
$21.84
CSA 2
$55.16
-$8.20
-$28.88
$21.28
$150.86
CSA 3
$90.50
$64.32
$21.86
$73.56
$189.50
*These values do not include produce delivered as optional extras by any of the CSA farms or produce picked by
members at regular you-pick days at CSA 3.
Why should I host a CSA?
• Offer your employees easy access to local healthy products
• CSA’s can be a very convenient way to access locally grown
food
• Community minded – but your employees are the ultimate
beneficiaries
• Think of what you would be offering your employees;
• Better access to healthy foods
• Convenience that will save employees time and fuel money
• Providing a very positive activity for employees to be part of
outside of work
Project goals:
• General information about CSA’s will be distributed to 60
businesses and 400 community members.
• Guidelines for Employers considering a workplace CSA
distributed to 50 businesses and farmers
• 10 businesses will send representatives to a general
informational meeting about workplace CSA’s
• 5 businesses will request a site visit
• 2 businesses will host a worksite CSA
• 10 local farmers will learn how to incorporate a worksite CSA
into their farm marketing plan
• Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables by consumers
enrolling in CSA will be verified
For more information:
Laura McDermott
Teresa Whalen
CCE CDVSFP
415 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
518-746-2562
[email protected]
Adirondack Harvest,
Southern Chapter Coordinator
Warrensburg, NY
518-466-5497
[email protected]
Thank you!
• Erin Krivitski, Program Coordinator
Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play
Worksite Wellness at the Health Promotion
Center of Glens Falls Hospital
• SUNY Adirondack, Regional Higher Education
Center
• Kilpatrick Family Farm – for the photos!