Alas, time did not stand still and while I am loathe to admit it - summer is over. The time has come to close the 2005 harvest season for Green Hill Farm's CSA.
It goes without saying that the actual date for CSA closing differs state to state. I have read about some California CSAs that grow close to 12 months of the year. I noted one such warm weather CSA was closed only January, and that most or all of these year-round CSAs sold shares in approximately three month units, so they too have to address closing.
I have read that some cold weather CSAs offer winter shares. Most or all I've read about offer these as an additional subscription. When the main season closes, the winter shares begin and eventually, the winter shares must close as well.
This will be our eighth closing. I've closed in different ways over the years. My dilemma is twofold. One: I do not know when the actual first hard frost will be. Two: I despise waste. If I close too soon so many good veggies get left unshared with my eager members. In the early years I simply waited for it to frost. I finished up the harvest week by harvesting enough prior to the frost warning. However, this resulted in a last minute notification to the membership either via email or by writing on the pick-up boards “Today is your last day.” I was not happy with either method because they were too severe and too sad.
As much as my members, especially the long-term folks, hate to see the bounty end, I can tell they are distracted by the responsibilities autumn brings; back to school for many of the children, back to work or increased work load for the adults. I began setting a closing date: the Friday of the second week in October, for in all the past seven years it has frosted by this date. One year it frosted in late September but we continued on however until early October until the first hard frost.
I have found this works very well. We get to say our bittersweet goodbye to each other and the garden's bounty.
Ah, Dear Reader, you think I am done, closed with my epistle of CSA closing methods. Fear not!I could never be so brief. There are more enlightening anecdotes to follow.
With a clear conscious my fellow CSA farmers and I could close at first frost knowing full well that the season was incredibly bountiful and without doubt, the retail value of said bounty far exceeded the membership fee. But remember, I despise waste, so in two or three of the last seven years I've offered Bonus Day.
Bonus Day
All us farmers and gardeners know that many plants live through the first frosts and while I do love having the garden to myself for a few weeks prior to real cold setting in, there is usually more supply than I can cook or preserve, and so Bonus Day was created. I closed my CSA on a Friday and scheduled Bonus Day for the following Saturday. I was very clear with my instructions: come on this day for one hour, as a bonus. If one is free they are encouraged to attend but there was no optional rescheduling. An RSVP is required for I need to know how to divide the available produce. Bonus Day has been enjoyed by many members with attendance usually exceeding 50% of the membership.
Bonus Day 2005? I struggled with this year's decision and I decided against offering one this year. Why you ask? I am ready to close. This year as a whole has been a good year but there have been some stresses. The weather was one; a gray and cool May and June had us lamenting our early pickups available inventory. Immediately on the heels of this unseasonably cool weather were weeks and weeks of 90° plus temperatures and off-the-scale humidity. That makes for farmers who aren't sleeping well and spend the days feeling like wet noodles.
Stressful Members
Some very pleasant mid-August and September weather almost made this tired farmer perk up. If it wasn't for the other stress, this one more draining and, unlike the weather, never improving: Stressful members. I know there is an entire article in how farmers who direct market deal with stressful customers and this isn't the place for a lengthy exploration of the topic. However, for those of my readers who are either beginner CSA farmers or future CSA farmers I feel it's worth mentioning. It's not something one tends read about in various articles regaling the reader on the joys of operating a CSA.
I make two things rather clear in my brochure and opening newsletter. We offer three pickup days a week, each open for two hours. In our CSA a member is required to have a DAY. Deviations from their DAY are acceptable the PRIOR notice. The other is WATCH YOUR CHILDREN and never let them torment my animals.
I have never had a year as bad as this for folks ignoring the PRIOR when it comes to rescheduling. I've had no-show folks contact me a day or two later looking for veggies ASAP, and on a day in which we are closed! All strange requests were denied, which stresses me. I do not like folks to miss their veggies, even when the error was their own. Literally not a week went buy this summer without such a glitch.
I had a handful of children who caused me stress, chasing chickens, stomping on vegetable plants and generally being ignored. Reminders of proper behavior went into multiple newsletters and we farmers were forced to “speak“ to said kids and parents to say, “do not chase the chickens“ or “plants don't grow when stomped on.” I went as far as penning up my chickens on a certain pickup day. And yes, there was some overlap in members in both categories of stress.
All the infractions were from my new members. I surmise that some came to me with that discombobulated personality that makes keeping to a schedule difficult. They live their entire life missing appointments and running late. Some really didn't grasp the intimate system that a CSA is, especially when compared to the anonymity of the grocery store. The old members, I guess, are simply folks who do deal well with a schedule, the strange selection and quantities of veggies, and do not just cope but enjoy their summers with us.
I wish I had some words of wisdom on how to avoid this stress. I thought placing the schedule and a few words about short-term hours and lack of “shopping list” vegetable selection in my brochure was enough. I guess not.
If a new person inquires about membership for the upcoming year during the harvest season I invite them to come visit during a pickup day and actually participate, including u-picking some vegetables like string beans. This works well as an interview process for both them and us. I have had folks choose not to join us, and I get a glimpse into their personality and how their kids behave. Simply by coming for a visit they show interest and a willingness to go out of their way. I realize that most of this year's new folks contacted me when we were not open and they joined sight unseen. I believe from now on all potential members will need to come to the farm regardless of the time of year. Do they make an effort to visit in the snow? Do their kids chase my year-round free-range chickens? We have a finite amount of memberships to offer and luckily more folks interested than available spaces. For the enjoyment of all involved, an interview process may help in making a happy season for all.
Ok, no Bonus Day, but I say to myself, “What about all those Brussels sprout plants you've got looking happy and prolific?” Everyone knows they not only survive frost but also taste the better for it. I decided to send out an email asking those who like Brussels sprouts to let me know if they want to be put on the Brussels sprouts list. If after a frost or two the quality and quantity of said sprouts is good I'll send an email so folks can come get some. “This won't be hard,” I thought, “no one likes them. I'll pick a few units, leave them untended on the table, let a handful of folks slip in and slip out, stress free.” As of this writing close to three-fourths of the membership has responded in the affirmative.
And so Green Hill Farm's 2005 season closes on a humorous, bittersweet and slightly stressful note.