Tips for Successful CSA Member Retention
By: Susan VanEpps
Thinking of making the leap from wholesale to retail for your farm-based products? Or leaving behind the early hours and variable weather at a farmers market? A CSA – where the community supports your operation through the advance sale of “subscriptions,” or shares of your year’s production – might be worth consideration. Bulk sales at retail prices and the increased community connections can be rewarding, but the commitment, creativity and discipline required to continually please customers –and turn a profit – is not for the faint of heart.
The CSA movement in the United States is not quite three decades old, but the USDA indicates the number of programs has grown to more than 1,500 farms nationwide. Private groups like Local Harvest estimate even more – closer to 4,000. Exact figures are difficult to obtain, as traditional government studies have lagged behind the evolving industry. Studies currently underway through the USDA do indicate, however, that the prime CSA member demographics fit well within Loudoun’s population: educated, middle-to upper-class individuals, living in metropolitan areas.
At the same time, these reports also demonstrate a high membership turnover, for reasons that are not yet fully understood. What then, is a farmer to do to ensure a successful operation? While the economics of CSA farming are too complex to tackle in one article, direct anecdotal evidence can begin to provide answers for the Loudoun community. While by no means a formal study, feedback from four established Loudoun CSA operations, along with 57 tabulated consumer reviews of 13 CSAs in the immediate Washington, D.C. region, point towards initial recommendations for CSA member loyalty:
– Fresh, quality produce – securely packaged – was an important issue mentioned by the highest percentage; a full 63 percent of online reviewers. While members say they are not looking for grocery-store standardization, clean and fresh reign supreme: if the words “poop” or “rotten” showed up anywhere in an online CSA review (and they do), it was never in good context. Local customers demand fresh, unspoiled produce free of excessive dirt and other contaminants.
Loudoun CSA operators agree. Matthew Scott from the organic-certified Stoneybrook Farm in Hillsboro explains, “We currently offer only 50 shares. These shares sell very quickly and most of them go to returning members. We may expand in the future, but want to ensure we do not lose our personal connection to our members, or our quality. The most important aspect in what we do is the quality and freshness of our produce.”
Kevin Grove from Quarterbranch Farm in Lovettsville concurs. Asked the most important factor in his CSA’s success, he says “We grow so many interesting varieties, like purple carrots, fennel, or celery. We avoid synthetic chemicals, and [our produce is] always fresh – we harvest twice a week. GMO-free. Our vegetables are CLEAN – dirt-free and chemical-free!”
– Connection and Customer Service. More than 42 percent mention their connection – or lack of connection – with their farmers in their reviews. Consumers say they want to feel the farmer’s love, know the farmers by name and by face, and love to be recognized as a loyal customer in return. What do they hate? Lectures, demands or excuses of any kind from their CSA.
“Timely, courteous and responsive customer service is essential to the success of our CSA program,” says Great Country Farms CSA Membership Coordinator Vanessa Wagner She added that adapting and tailoring their expanding, 20-year-old program to meet member expectations is also important to the success of their CSA operation. “From check-in at the farm to clear and efficient pick-up practices, exceeding the needs of our customers is always our goal.”
– Diversity of CSA items, with standard vegetable fare supplemented with specialty products, especially value-added items, ranked third. Forty percent of regional CSA members highlighted their love for non-vegetable CSA fare. Eggs, bread, cheese, meat, fruit and jams were among the top items mentioned, and members had no complaints about being asked to pay extra for these premium CSA add-ons.
Dana Sacco, owner of Chicama Run in Purcellville, offers a unique spin on specialty products in that her entire CSA operation focuses on frozen cuts of grass-fed Black Angus beef and pasture-raised pork. “This is a new concept [versus vegetables],” says Sacco, who also sells other farm-raised meats at her Chicama Run store. “Our CSA customers also have special benefits, such as being able to order their Thanksgiving turkey early, reserving fresh chicken, reserving eggs and other special opportunities throughout the season.” Chicama’s CSA typically sells out each spring.
– Bonus CSA Features – Newsletters with food storage tips, delivery schedules and recipes; Facebook pages; bonus CSA picking and any member events held directly at the farm received high marks from 36 percent of online reviewers. This can be seen in Loudoun, too: Great Country Farms offers 14 festivals, bonus picking, newsletters and regular farm admission free with membership. Stoneybrook sells locally prepared food items and has outdoor seating, creating a social environment for members: “CSA pickup day is always very social, as many people plan to meet here for lunch,” says Scott. Quarterbranch invites members out to help out for their Friday harvests, and Chicama Run offers farm-related classes and seminars for an additional fee.
– Also on the list? One in four online reviewers emphasized issues such as membership cost and CSA value. The most frequent critique regarding value was not in relation to comparable items at grocery stores – it seems the true competition for area CSA membership is the choice, quality and price at the neighborhood farmers market. About the same percentage of people (24 percent) emphasized their concern for organic and/or sustainable production, or the humane treatment of farm animals.
– An emerging trend? Highly ranked in online reviews, but only mentioned at a minority of CSAs: flexibility in ordering. CSAs that provided online a la carte selections of its weekly offerings, a choice in weekly share size, shorter commitment periods or easy scheduling adjustment to orders (such as for vacations or other conflicts) consistently received very high praise. Sacco has learned this lesson and made adjustments. “We have actually taken out some of the options that didn’t work out as well … such as not having it be a year-long contract, but two months at a time … We also made it so you only need to come out once per month versus every week.”
Information on all of Loudoun County’s CSA operations is online on the new Loudoun Farms website. For assistance with opening a new CSA operation, visit Loudoun SourceLink or contact the Department of Economic Development.