Refunds from the Many Hands CSA
| Summer CSA Week | Remaining cost/refund |
|---|---|
| June 14th | $575.00 |
| June 21st | $565.00 |
| June 28th | $553.00 |
| July 5th | $539.00 |
| July 12th | $523.00 |
| July 19th | $503.00 |
| July 26th | $479.00 |
| August 2nd | $449.00 |
| August 9th | $414.00 |
| August 16th | $377.00 |
| August 23rd | $338.00 |
| August 30th | $297.00 |
| September 6th | $256.00 |
| September 13th | $215.00 |
| September 20th | $176.00 |
| September 27th | $140.00 |
| October 4th | $108.00 |
| October 11th | $78.00 |
| October 18th | $50.00 |
| October 25th | $24.00 |
One of the agreements that shareholders make when they sign up for a CSA is to share the risk and the bounty. That is the CSA model as it was first conceived when it hit the states in around 1984.
Weather is always a concern, and for the past two years we have had really challenging weather in the heart of the summer, when things are supposed to be growing at their maximum capability.
There is sometimes more of a risk involved when one signs up with a newly operational CSA where the farmers have minimal experience. We have, however, been farming organically for 29 years and running a CSA since 1992. We make fewer and fewer mistakes each year, and get better at what we do. A lot of the artistry of farming is in understanding what weather patterns can be expected (based on experience) and planning accordingly. For instance, for the past several years the early part of the season has been more erratic and on the other end the falls have been pretty perfect. We plan for a good season throughout, but don't give up hope when it rains 8 inches in one day like it did in July last year. Staying attentive to continual succession cropping in June, July, August and even September improves the odds of bounteous harvest.
Weather patterns like we have experienced in March this year are common these days. We really never know when we are going to get one of these types of storms that dump unnatural amounts of water in a short period of time.
The best "crop insurance" is strong attention to fertility and organic matter management (though the use of mulches, compost, cover crop incorporation), and on our wet farm, the use of raised beds, to maximize drainage. When the soil has high organic matter (ours varies from 6 -9%) there is maximum absorption and retention of water. This ameliorates excessive (or inadequate) moisture in the system.
Our CSA customers are on the top of the list for who gets produce. We do a number of other markets, but these markets only get served if our CSA has been served first, because the CSA members have put their money up front which we so appreciate because it pays our bills early in the season when there is much work to be done but very little income coming in to pay for it.
Our policy for giving folks money back is to refund the remainder of the season if at any point they feel that they are not getting what they paid for. We have a chart that lays that out (we use this when we take new members during the season, but it can be used for refunds too) - you can see it above and to the right of this text. You can always bow out for a refund for the remainder of the season if you are in any way not satisfied with the relationship.