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Dan Moore of Farmshares Interview (part 1)

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Spring has sprung and if you are curious as to how you can eat better and support your local farmer, a CSA might be the perfect solution for your family. Recently, I asked Dan Moore of Farmshares.info a series of questions that will help you dive further into whether a CSA is the right choice for your family. I also asked a few of you in the community if you had further questions about CSA’s and those questions and answers will be in the next post.

Lilly: What is a CSA and what is the main reason to join one?

Dan: CSA stands for community supported agriculture and is a direct relationship between a farmer or rancher and the end customer with a risk sharing component. You give the farmer money early in the year, and they give you produce, meat or other food throughout the growing season.

The main reason to join a CSA is to learn more about who grows your food and how it is done. CSA provides a level of involvement with your food that is deeper than anything other than gardening.

Lilly: What is the most common question or concern you hear from people interested in starting a CSA?

Dan: The most common question is “how do I pick the right farm?”. Just as with any major purchase (share prices are typically in the hundreds of dollars and can be up to three thousand) you have to both know what you are looking for and do your research.

To the first point, many people are romantic about “getting food directly from the farmer” and ignore that they don’t like to cook, or travel often during the season, or work a job that will make a weekly pickup hard. There is enough variety in CSAs available, so think about what you need. If you want to learn the basics of CSA, I have put together a free email course.

To the second, while there are similarities, each CSA differs in what they expect of their members, the types of food they provide, and where you can pick up the share. So while tools like farmshares.info can help, you really need to review each farm’s website, talk to current and past members and mesh what the farm/ranch offers with your needs.

Lilly: What has been the biggest change you have noticed since you first became a CSA member in 2007?

Dan: Two big changes: 1) the widening of the CSA market, both in number of farms and products offered. It’s amazing to see new farms and new products be available in the CSA risk sharing model. 2) the turnover of CSA farms. I think the skills needed to be a successful CSA farmer include all the skills of a regular farmer, plus marketing and sales skills (plus management once the farm is a certain size). I see a lot of CSAs start up and run for 4-5 years and then shut down, either because the farmer is moving off the land or because they are focusing on other markets (farmer’s market, direct sales of a product, wholesale markets).

Lilly: How soon after joining a CSA did you realize the need to create coloradocsa.info which has recently expanded to become farmshares.info? What was the driving motivator?

Dan: I started out with a list of farms on which I had done research, and quickly realized that it would be helpful to others. A friend also joined a CSA in Denver about the same time and shared her list. After combining the two, I had a simple web page that received some traffic, indicating there was interest. After about two years of updating that page and fielding questions about CSAs in Colorado, I decided to build ColoradoCSAs.info in 2010. In 2015, my wife and I decided that the existing national directories were not as useful as they should be, and spent some time and money re-working and re-launching ColoradoCSAs.info as FarmShares.info, as well as pursuing affiliates and sponsorships.
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The driving motivation for the redesign is that CSA membership, for me, was a fundamental shift in how I viewed food and the food system. I wanted to share that with people beyond Colorado. photo-52

Lilly: What is the advantage of using a tool such as farmshares.info versus just jumping on the Google?

Dan: Farmshares.info gathers data from farms, standardizes it, and makes it very easy to compare farms that meet your needs. I always advocate contacting the farmer directly once you have narrowed your choices to two or three, since CSA information can change from day to day (for example, shares can sell out).

When you start at Google, you find farms that are best at showing up in Google, as opposed to the farm that might be closest to you, or have the type of share you want.

Lilly: How has the transition from coloradocsa.info to farmshares.info been? Can you give us a sneak peek of what to expect in the coming months or years?

Dan: The transition from coloradocsas.info to farmshares.info has been smooth–the launch affected our traffic slightly, but it has bounced back as we head into the prime signup season for the mountain west (Jan-May).

In the future, you can expect more features, greater coverage of the mountain west and eventually the entire USA, and more partnerships with companies that support local food.

Lilly: Most of us now think of CSAs in terms of produce, but ‘community supported’ has evolved in recent years to include other products. What are some of those changes?

Dan: I’ve seen two main changes in the offerings from CSA farms over the years. The first is a far wider selection of farm-to-consumer products available. These range from soap to meat to fish to bread to coffee–at least 40 different types of food are available via CSA. This is fantastic because it lets consumers support local farmers and ranchers even if they can’t commit to a season of vegetables.

The second is the rise, especially in farms selling produce, of the market share. Instead of the farmer picking out vegetables and boxing them up for you, you pre-pay for credit at farm stands and farmer’s markets. It’s a way to support a farm and share the risk of poor crops without losing choice. (The customer still shares the risk because if the farm has a poor season, or doesn’t produce much of a popular crop like tomatoes, the customer is still committed to purchase from that farm.)

Lilly: Can you forecast any predictions for the future of CSA’s in the US?

Dan: I think that CSAs will rise and fall as interest in home cooking rises and falls. CSAs just don’t make sense if you aren’t eating at home. The recent trend of people re-learning how to cook (see Michael Pollan’s books) makes me optimistic about the long term future of CSAs. danpam

Top Ten Benefits of Joining a CSA Farm Share

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Indulge in a local harvest!

As I have lived throughout the Western U.S., I have been blessed to enjoy many different CSA’s from the California Central Coast to the Sonoran Desert to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The differences have been amazing, but the similarities lie in all of the incredible perks & benefits of being a part of a Farm Share (aka CSA: Community Supported Agriculture).

I first started to fall in love with CSA’s as a personal chef when I would peak into boxes having had little previous knowledge of what to expect and then I spent the rest of the day whipping up five dinners using as many of the vegetables as possible. It was such an adventure!

There are plenty of reasons to invest in a CSA and here are my own top ten that I have learned:

1. Easiest way to buy local and to eat seasonally. A CSA is an opportunity to purchase your food with full transparency. In most cases, everything was grown on the farm you have chosen. Of course, you will need to double check and verify before taking my word for it depending on the farm share you choose, but unregulated farmers markets and organic grocery delivery services can be spots for resold produce from who knows where.

2. Save the Planet. You can recycle. You can compost. You can do whatever you can to tread a bit lighter on the planet. But, one of the most brilliant and delicious ways to save the planet is by making sure your food is grown as close to home as possible. Typically I prefer food, that hasn’t traveled more miles than me. (Of course, there are exceptions… hello, my beloved avocado! I hope you enjoyed your trip from California!)

3. You will Cook More. This quickly becomes required after you bring home a bundle of freshly picked vegetables. Farm fresh produce needs attention sooner rather than later and since you are getting produce the following week usually you will need to enjoy all of that goodness within a surprisingly quick seven day window. With Lilly’s Table, I focus on bringing in produce that you would likely receive through a CSA, such as dark leafy greens, kohlrabi, roots such as a beets & turnips and more.

4. Who’s your Farmer? Chances are you will be able to answer this question with an actual name and not in a hypothetical way. You may even get to shake their hands and high five them for all of their amazing work.

5. Support your Local Economy. When you support your local farmers, you ensure dollars are circulating within your own community. Your financial support also encourages farms to STAY within your community. As farmers retire not many young people are starting farms partially because it is an incredible challenging, financially erratic business. Also, Big Ag in this country receives more federal assistance than do small farms. When you pay for a CSA in advance you are sending a fabulous message that you want to see local food, small farmers, and the local economy thrive.

6. Save money. In the long run, when you cook & eat all of the produce provided you will save money. Especially, if you are comparing your local produce to other similar options from farmers markets and green grocers. Also, with the added health benefits, it is easy to argue you will be saving money on future medical bills.

7. Constant Surprises. When you garden, you can plan, plant, plan some more but it isn’t until food is ready to harvest that you know what you will really be eating. When you buy into a CSA you are buying into the promise that every gardener and farmer enjoys: the blessings of nature. Most CSA’s give you a list of food to expect before you pick up, but until you see baby beet greens, tat soi or kohlrabi in your own kitchen you may not really know what you are getting.

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9. Additional Member Perks! A lot of CSA’s want to engage you in ways beyond your weekly share and will hold special events, farm-fresh dinners, pumpkin patches, u-pick events and more. The average Farmers Market shopper will not necessarily benefit from these extra perks. Also, I know farmers who will reserve the extra special produce for their CSA members rather than selling them at a Farmers Market. Through your loyalty and support, most farmers are excited to share the abundance.

Carrots fresh from the ground

10. Delicious. Honestly, folks, you will have to experience this one for yourself, but the fresher the produce the better the taste. One bite of a true baby carrot with the green tops dangling down will give you an entirely new attitude about vegetables in general. Go now, let the taste rock your world and find a CSA in your community today!

Now that you are convinced of WHY you need to join a CSA, please check out my list of all the Questions to Ask When you are Looking for a CSA. I also include some of my favorite places to help you find a CSA.

What benefit is the greatest selling point for you to start a CSA?
What other reasons did we miss?
Please share in the comments below!

Cooks seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

What will you do with a beautiful pile of summer squash!?

Top Ten Questions to Ask When Selecting a CSA.

1. Where is the farm? The closer to your own home the better, ideally within a 200 mile radius. Many of us in more urban settings may not have that luxury, but keep looking and you be will surprised at what you can find. There are even smaller urban farms that are popping up in backyards, front yards and empty lots near by.

2. What do you want? Farms at the very least know what they have planted or will be planting throughout the season. They cannot tell you how much will actually come out of the ground and flourish to harvest, but they have a very good idea about what to anticipate. Ask them! Most farms have a crop list as well as a harvest schedule available either on their website or via email. If the farm is obsessed with greens and you cannot stand the idea of eating them, keep looking for another farm. If you are hoping to can tomatoes find out if they offer extra boxes of produce, too.

3. Do you want to go beyond vegetables? In general, when most folks talk about a CSA it is in reference to ‘agriculture’ and most often a vegetable share. There are however many other types of CSA’s including fruit, meat, bread, beer, flowers and more that are either included or can be added to your CSA. These are often great options for continuing your local food mission, but if for example you are gluten-free & vegan, a farm offering meat & bread shares would not make sense for you.

4. Do you know anyone who has used this CSA? I am always a fan of getting referrals. Fancy websites do not necessarily reflect the quality of the actual produce. Ask around! On that note, once you become a CSA member share the good news and spread the word about the farm that is providing your your with so much goodness.

5. Do you like surprises or do you need to choose? I personally love peaking into a box not knowing what to expect and getting all sorts of interesting greens, roots and more to play with in my cooking. That may not work for everyone though! My brother has an awesome CSA that offers a surprise box, but typically they encourage members to select every last item through a pre-paid point system. I know other farms who let you choose from their farm stand on a weekly basis.

Do you love greens? CSA’s are a great way to get a trike-load full!

6. Can you skip a week? Most CSA’s are at least 5 months with some being year round, I hope you are able to travel and take a break during that time as we all need a little rest & relaxation. However, knowing what happens with your farm before you go is important. Can you skip a week and how does the farm make it easy to miss? Many farms have been taking this in to consideration and have their own program in place. That being said, I have enjoyed several CSA’s where you were still expected to pick up. I took this as an opportunity to gift my CSA to a family in need or a friend who I think would love having a CSA, but hasn’t experienced one yet. It is an opportunity to share the local food love!

7. Can you do a trial period? By the very nature of most CSA’s, you are signing up as an investing shareholder in the farm. When you start with this attitude it helps make it clearer as to why you would fork over about $500+ without having experienced the product. That being said, some of the bigger CSA’s, especially those that are year round will let you sign up for a limited period anywhere from 2-6 weeks usually.

8. Can you gift your CSA? Sometimes! Certainly, every CSA would be happy for you to buy an entire share as a gift, but any of the CSA’s that offer limited time CSA’s will have an easy way to do gift certificates. Actually, I bought my brother a few weeks of a CSA several years ago and he is still happily subscribing.
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9. Where is the pick up? I once had a farm share right around the time of our wedding. It was just starting out with barely any produce in the first month. We picked up a small amount of produce for the first few weeks and it was a nearly 30 minute drive. It quickly became obvious that the CSA wasn’t the best idea during the craziness of our wedding planning. Since then every CSA we have had was only a 5-10 minute drive, 15-20 minute bike ride and/or it was at the Farmers Market we regularly attended.

10. How much do you cook and how much do you want? Having a CSA will push you to cook more, which in my opinion is possibly the best reason to get a CSA. But, take into consideration how much produce you actually need. A standard CSA often caters to a family of four with one box or full grocery bag of produce. However, lately I have noticed CSA’s offering additional smaller package sizes. Always make sure you are not receiving more produce than you can consume. Some CSA’s discourage sharing with a friend, but honestly if you are single and really wanting a CSA find a friend or two to share with and you will all be much happier with the service.

Finally, this is less of a question and more of an action step, but visit the Farm OR the Pick Up Location. As possible, find out as many answers to the above questions as you can, but if you are still stuck, ask if you can visit the farm or pick up location. Several CSA’s also attend Farmers Markets, so that is another option as well. This means you will get to see the produce in action, whether it is covered in dirt & wilted or fresh and vibrant from an early morning harvest or good storage. You will also get to observe how the other CSA members are experiencing their share and if they are enjoying it. Be mindful, this may not be an option, but it is worth looking into as possible.

Also, here is a list of my favorite online sources for finding a CSA:

Certified Naturally Grown– This is a peer or participatory program that provides a certification to small farmers who would not be good candidates for the National Organic Certification. It saves them money & paperwork while allowing them to sell organically grown produce directly to consumers.

Local Harvest This is a great place to start for many CSAs.

Colorado CSA If you are in Colorado this a great resource including a series of ebooks where you can get a detailed listing of CSA’s in your specific area such as Denver, Boulder, Golden, Ft. Collins, Longmont, and Colorado Springs.

Do you have a listing (similar to Colorado CSA) that is local to your region? Please share it in the comments below!

What do you look for in a CSA? Share your favorite CSA in the comments below!

Once you are finally set up and started with your CSA, sign up for Lilly’s Table for recipes, meal plans and more that cater to those who are buying locally sourced, seasonally focused food.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

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Tag Archives: CSA

Dan Moore of Farmshares Interview (part 1)