CSA in NYC
Hosting Successful CSA Events
Facilitator: Katrina Schultz Richter, Operation Manager at Hot Bread Kitchen
Presenters: Jenny, Fort Green CSA; Jen Datka, Just Food, Park Slope CSA; Vanessa Hagerbaumer, Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA; officer at MET, williamsburgCSA@gmail.com
Attendees’ Challenges:
- Ideas for events (lack of events)
- Getting people to come
- Getting the word out
- Needs education component
- Management of planning events
- Communication
- Getting volunteers
- Knowing what events would work
- Affordability of events
- Transportation options
- Liability
- No events at all – community building needed
Why Plan Events?
Jenny:
- Meet the farmer to attract low-income
- Build community
- Build core group from attendees
Vanessa:
- Community building
- Education events (farm trips, talks, food prep/cooking workshops)
- Fundraising (silent auction @ event, concert with members who play)
Types of Educational Events
Vanessa:
- Orientation
- Potluck
- Sign-up In-person (face-to-face interaction)
- Food demos (pickling, canning)
- Health Talks
- General Public
Most Popular Events?
Jenny:
- Farm trips
- Potluck dinners (end of season), BBQ with wine
- Meet the Farmer (before season starts is the most popular time to meet the farmer)
- Pumpkin donations for kids to paint
When to schedule events?
Jenny:
-Depends on the CSA. For potluck, probably not on a pick-up night. Other events like a movie screening could be on a pick-up night.
Vanessa:
- If 10% shows up, it’s still a good thing.
- Try to vary events so that a higher percentage attends over the whole season
- Don’t try to please everyone.
- Create smaller events with themes & rotating members.
When to charge? How much are people willing to pay?
Vanessa: Only charge if there is a real cost. $20 or donations.
Jenny: school bus rental, sliding scale, use money as a way to hold seat to guarantee attendance
Where to have events
Vanessa:
- Community centers
- Churches farm local park (make sure you have a rain plan)
- Member homes
- Offices
- Schools
- Restaurants
- Seek resources within membership; donations (chef colleges/classes)
Jenny:
- Challenge with food-related movie screenings
- Local businesses
Will people self identify as unable to pay?
Vanessa: Yes. Be clear in your communication (date, time, what to bring, who to bring. Use emails, newsletters, website, flyers @ pick-up)
Are there free tools to get the word out there?
Vanessa: icontact (internet based program that allows you to send emails to all members)
What about Google group?
Vanessa: For core group, not all members
What about low-income?
Vanessa: Phone tree
Event Promotion
Jenny: Write a note on your share list (chalkboard, whiteboard)
What makes a good farmer’s visit? (asked by a dairy farmer)
Vanessa: A tour through a farmer’s voice & story; hands-on if possible
Attendees:
- Working visit
- Farmer plans & CSA just attends
- Harvest party
- Finding out how the farmer got into it: philosophies of farming, what else do you do with product?, the process of it all
- Gift/store
- Take home
- Have a schedule
Increasing Participation
Jenny: show pictures (how fun it was!)
Vanessa:
- If you (as planner) are prepared & can show a calendar of events, you will be able to attract planning & non-planning members alike
- Rain dates for trips
- Organization makes it easier from year to year
- Have calendar up & ready by sign-ups
When to Sign up for Farm Trips
Between December & February
Farms in the city fill up by February
How to increase Number of Events
Jenny: Get members who want to volunteer to plan events
Vanessa:
- Find the member who likes to plan events
- Ask core group
- Plan smaller events
- Get feedback
- Delegate responsibility
Survey Methods
Jenny: end of year survey; leave blank on survey for comments
Vanessa: mid-year/end of year; ‘I’d like to donate … xyz” space, get commitment on survey
Transportation
Vanessa:
- 212.239.3333 CC Rentals/Courier Rentals; 430 W 37th St
- 15 passenger van; 24 hr rental is about $250 or about $20 per person; driver is volunteer
- Organize a carpool (doesn’t fill as many spots); members pay enough money to cover gas
- Charge $20 a person and use extra to subsidize low-income seats
- Share event with a CSA that uses the same farm
- Citizens Committee for NYC (mini-grants)
Do CSAs have an annual budget for event planning? Does it come from initial shares?
Jenny: Our CSA has discretionary funding from councilmen, also taken out of administration fee
Vanessa: Our CSA wants fundraising to go to low-income shares so events pay for themselves
TIPS
Vanessa:
- Have a purpose for every event
- Have a calendar
- Delegate! Take advantage of member/community resources
- Host dinner parties using food from your sharecharge as a way to fundraise
Themes?
- Iron chef (vegetable from share)
- Tomato Tasting
- Bake-Off
