Cultivate a thriving Community Supported Agriculture Program from the ground up

Deepen your knowledge and plant the seeds for a successful CSA! Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs have evolved significantly over the years, offering farmers a versatile framework to implement various selling strategies that connect them directly with consumers. From deciding what goes in your share to how often it’s delivered, the seemingly endless decisions can feel overwhelming with all of the decisions and groundwork that needs to be set before selling CSA shares.

Whether you’re a seasoned CSA farmer, or exploring this direct market model for the first time, our fall workshop series is designed to help small and mid-size farmers optimize and grow their CSA offerings.

Led by our CSA specialist, Cara Fraver, this 9 week intensive will help you learn about all the different CSA strategies to help you brainstorm innovative approaches to accelerate your farm’s success!

Ready to transform your direct-market farm into a sustainable and thriving Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program? Continue reading for an overview of the curriculum covered and watch the recordings.

Lesson 1 | Types of CSA Subscriptions & Strategies

Lesson 2 | Boost Sales with Add-On Shares & A La Carte Offerings

Lesson 3 | How to Build a CSA Share

Lesson 4 | How to Make your CSA Financially Accessible

Lesson 5 | How to Choose a CSA Distribution Location

Lesson 6 | Marketing Strategies: How to Sell Your CSA Shares

Lesson 7 | Communication Channels & Strategies

Lesson 8 | Agritourism, Event Management & Planning

Lesson 9 | Evaluation Techniques & Surveys

Download a free digital farmer handbook to dig deep into the details of different CSA tools and strategies. Sign up to receive your ebook now.

Have questions? We have answers. Email our CSA specialist Cara Fraver at cara@farmgenerations.coop with any questions related to Community Supported Agriculture or set up a one-on-one call to start building your GrownBy Shop today!

LESSON 1 | 4 Types of CSA Strategies for Building Successful Shares

📗 See Part 4, page 13—18 in the CSA Handbook

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) can mean many different things to different people, but ultimately allows farmers a versatile framework to implement various selling strategies that connect them directly with consumers.

In this CSA workshop, we’ll cover 4 key strategies to consider that will help you refine and expand your CSA:

Distribution Strategies: Learn about different types of shares and the most effective ways to distribute them to your customers.
Production Strategies: Discover how your growing methods and business structure can be leveraged to create appealing CSA shares.
Sales Strategies: Explore various share types, pricing models, and how to align them with customer needs.
Site Strategies: Learn how and where your share reaches your customers to ensure convenience and accessibility

WATCH LESSON 1

LESSON 2 | Boost Business with Add-On Shares & A La Carte Offerings

📗See Part 10, page 46—52 in the CSA Handbook

Many Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs enhance their offerings with add-on shares or a la carte items. Whether you source from your own farm or decide to partner with local producers, add-ons and a la carte offerings can expand your customer reach and increase profitability.

If you already have a CSA and are looking to grow your offerings and collaborate with community partners, this lesson’s for you!

In this session, we’ll explore how to boost your business with add-on shares and community partnerships:

Popular Add-On Shares: Discover which types of add-ons resonate most with CSA members.
Farm Management: Learn how to efficiently manage these additional offerings on your farm
Core Groups: Learn how Core Groups in NYC manage these add-on shares, sometimes independently of the primary farm.
Technology & Tools: Explore the tools and customizable options on GrownBy — the first farmer owned CSA management app that streamlines the management of additional shares.
Member Surveys: Learn the effective methods for surveying your members to determine which shares are worth the investment.

WATCH LESSON 2

LESSON 3 | Building Your CSA Share

📗 See Part 5, page 19—26 in the CSA Handbook

Once you’ve decided CSA is right for your farm, it’s time to hammer out the details! Beyond planning what you’ll be growing, you need to consider season length, share size and frequency, and presentation at pick-up sites.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft the perfect CSA share to keep your customers satisfied — and returning every season. We will cover:

Vegetable Selection & Balance: Learn how to choose the right mix of veggies to keep your customers satisfied.
Season Length & Frequency: Decide on details like CSA season length and explore catering to different seasons (like winter vs spring shares).
Share Sizing & Quantity: Determine the best share sizes and item counts to meet customer needs and expectations.
Incorporating Flexibility: Learn how to offer choice and flexibility in your shares, including options like vacation weeks to appeal to more customers and build relationships
Boxed vs. Unboxed Shares: Decide whether to box your shares or offer them in an open bin market-style
Member Feedback: Learn about effective ways to survey members to adapt your offerings each season.

WATCH LESSON 3

LESSON 4 | How to Make CSA Shares Financially Accessible

📗 See Part 6 & 7, page 28—35 in the CSA Handbook

Farm-fresh food should be available and accessible to everyone, everywhere, no matter income level or location. In this workshop, you will learn different pricing structures and alternative affordability strategies that will ensure your farm’s long-term success without sacrificing profits.

In this financial accessibility workshop, you will learn:

tiered pricing and sliding scales payment options
how to accept donations to subsidize lower-income shares
how to utilize GrownBy to accept SNAP Online, plus how to use exports to report for other programs, like Double Up Bucks.
how to understand income ranges in your region/neighborhood to set up tiered pricing [RESOURCE Pew Research Income Calculator]
What to consider when naming shares or products. [SEE Rock Steady Farm’s pricing FAQs]
Optimal outreach and marketing strategies to reach potential and existing customers

WATCH LESSON 4

LESSON 5 | How to Find a CSA Distribution Location to Maximize Convenience & Sales

📗 See Part 3, page 8-12 in the CSA Handbook

Whether your CSA pick up location is in the next town over ,or in an urban center hours away, finding a convenient and welcoming location will set you up for years of success and make recruiting members easier.

In this workshop we’ll discuss CSA drop-off location requirements and considerations that will make your shares accessible. We will discuss:

Considerations of the neighborhood to ensure a diverse membership.
The pros and cons of for-profit, non-profit, or community spaces.
How to work with core groups or partners to pick a location.
Unloading, route, and storage logistics.
Roles and duties at a distribution location.

WATCH LESSON 5

LESSON 6 | Marketing Strategies to Increase CSA Sales

📗 See Part 9, page 41-45 in the CSA Handbook

You’ve planned your planting successions and CSA shares. Now it’s time to sell them!

In this CSA session, we’ll explore how to boost CSA sales by reaching new customers and capturing return customers. We will discuss:

How to create a connection through sharing the story of your farm and differentiating yourself from the competition.
How to work with community partners, such as individual core group members or community organizations to reach potential customers.
How to encourage and incentivize “word-of-mouth” from members to potential members.
How e-commerce platforms and CSA software like GrownBy can help manage sales.
How to utilize digital tools like social media, Canva, to create attractive graphics for organic content and targeted ads.
Timing and sales windows
Discounts and sales to encourage early sign-ups.

WATCH LESSON 6

LESSON 7 | Communication Strategies to Grow Your CSA Membership

📗 See Part 11, page 52-58 in the CSA Handbook

You want to build your community in “Community Supported Agriculture,” but you can’t be tethered to your desk all the time.

Consider these topics as you create a communications plan for 2025:

How to share the story of your farm and differentiating yourself in your communications.
How to plan and build newsletters (email campaigns)
How to build community online beyond sales—social media, Google groups, closed Facebook groups, and more.
How software can save time and streamline communications by sending automated reminders and order notifications so you can focus on the fields.
What to include in membership agreements

WATCH LESSON 7

LESSON 8 | How to Build Community through Event Planning & Agritourism

📗 See Part 11, page 59 in the CSA Handbook

Whether it’s an end-of-season potluck, an onion planting party, goat yoga, or even just a “Meet Your Farmer” Zoom call, hosting face-to-face events help build stronger connections between your customers and the farm — especially for enterprises with off-farm CSA distributions!

FURTHER READING Farm Commons Agritourism Legal Basics

In this event-building session, we will consider:

Types of events that can build your community and increase sales based on your capacity and location
How to incorporate education about the farm into social events
How to plan events with members, core members, and employees
Legal considerations when planning an event
How to build community connection while hosting an event off the farm

WATCH LESSON 8

LESSON 9 | Customer Surveys & Farm Evaluations to Improve your Farm

📗 See Part 12, page 62-65 in the CSA Handbook

Your CSA members are uniquely connected and invested in the farm, so end-of-season evaluations are an important way to gather data to improve your offerings. Talk directly to your members, employees, and volunteers to to gather feedback via surveys or questionnaires to improve future seasons.

In this CSA Share evaluation session, we will discuss:

when and how to send surveys
software to conduct member surveys
the type of information you want or need to implement change
other ways to gather feedback for improvement

WATCH LESSON 9

Your guide to a thriving CSA program is just a click away!

Once you sign up, you’ll receive instant access to the the 70 page CSA handbook for free.

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CSA Resources / Further Reading

CSA Renewals Package via CSA Innovation Network

6 CSA Marketing Tips to Ensure a Full Season

GrownBy Introduces Custom CSA Shares & Box Builder

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Farmers Handbook to Starting & Operating a CSA Program

SURVEY REPORT CSA in the City: How to Build More Resilient Urban-Rural Relationships

Getting Started with Value-Added Production: Boost Profits & Reduce Waste on Your Farm

7 Farm & Food Photography Tips to Elevate Your Farm Marketing & Sales

Living Wage Calculator via MIT

Income Calculator via Pew Research

Rock Steady Farm and their pricing FAQs

CSA is a SNAP via Glynwood

GrownBy is the seamless all-in-one solution for local farm sales.

GrownBy is the only farmer-owned marketplace to platform farm products and give consumers the opportunity to find and buy food fresh from the farm.

Build your farm shop on the GrownBy Marketplace for free and start selling your products in less than an hour. Everyone on our support team has farming experience and we will help you build your online farm shop, build custom CSAs, and get you SNAP Online Certified for free.