CSA: RainySunday Ranch

Why Not A Traditional CSA?

While we loved the CSA experience in 2016, we noticed some significant challenges for our customers and ourselves in operating a CSA. When we began planning for 2017, we sought to solve as many of those challenges as we could to create a more effective, more efficient program for our customers and our farm! Challenge-CSA runs for a limited season. The natural flux of seasonably available food requires a limited number of weeks to be able to offer everyone the same experience, and does not offer flexibility to handle weather swings and early/late starts and ends to seasons. ​ Solution-Friend of the Farm credit will be usable throughout the year. If we have produce/eggs/flowers/soap available, you can use your credit for it, whether it is March, July, or October (yes, we had food available in November! Garlic, winter squash, greens, dahlias and more!). ​ Challenge-Everyone has different palates and culinary preferences and may not like everything in a CSA share. Additionally, some foods availability fluctuates throughout the season and may not be available in enough quantity to provide to all CSA shares. ​ Solution- With FoF, you choose your own produce! If you love Rainbow Chard or Arugula, you can purchase it every week it's available; if you don't like it you don't ever have to have it or feel guilty when you toss it or put it in the compost two weeks later! Additionally, with FoF, we don't have to create an identical share for all members, so we can offer a larger variety each week and throughout the season! ​ Challenge-Summer (CSA season) is busy! Sometimes members have vacations planned, unexpected circumstances arise, or are simply too busy to make it to the farm every week. ​ Solution-Friend of the Farm allows you to buy what you want when you want to! If you want to come every week, great! Every other week? That's fine too! You can make the FoF work with your schedule, no matter what your schedule is! And if life gets really crazy? Your FoF credit balance rolls over from one year to the next! ​ Challenge-We offer a variety of extras that many of our members wish to enjoy, but because not everyone does, they cost "extra" under a CSA model. These are things like eggs, flower bouquets, goat milk soap, bulk buys from other farms, and other add-ons as available. ​ Solution-FoF credit can be used to pay for all of the things we offer: vegetables, herbs, fruit, eggs, flowers, soap, bulk and special buys! No need to pay "extra"!