Re: Pulling back from CSA

To: <csa-l@prairienet.org>
Subject: Re: Pulling back from CSA
From: "Dori Green" <funfarm@servtech.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 13:00:14 -0400
Sender: owner-csa-l@prairienet.org
I'm in Corning, NY -- five miles outside of downtown ("too far, too
inconvenient to drive up to for veggies").  It's New York's #3 tourist
destination -- I'm seriously looking at moving the gardens to the front of
the property, adding more flowers, and bringing in bus tours.  The heck
with the locals -- I'll re-do my organic certification andship the stuff to
New York City -- or Rochester!  Any other would-be core groups up there
who'd like to have a farm to visit and maybe stay overnight at, get weekly
deliveries to a distribution point?

I'm also looking at the rules and regulations about operating my CSA with a
bed-and-breakfast option complete with taxi and tour service for visitors
from NYC.  Am I wrong in thinking that folks from Rochester, Syracuse, New
York might like to spend a weekend to a week on a working farm with lots of
touristy stuff to do nearby?

The reality as I see it is that it doesn't seem like I'm going to be able
to make the taxes on this land -- much less the mortgage payment -- by
selling produce.  Gotta sell the moo and the oink too, and if that's not
valued by the local population I need to look elsewhere for the market, not
necessarily elsewhere for the farm.

A recent windfall trip to Seattle really opened my eyes to the fact that
there's a whole wide world out there and I do not have to rely on a local
market.  I have two CSA members from California who are waiting patiently
for their $100-worth of dried herbs from this year's harvest.

I'd love to relocate to Seattle (except that I do hate the Urban Sprawl
there) -- but the $40,000-per-acre land prices put a real crimp in that
idea.

And my house is by no means ready for sale -- needs scraping, painting,
fixing up here there and everywhere.  So for my next magic trick I may just
reinvent myself right where I'm at!

Dori Green:  Writer, Farmer, Facilitator
Ash Grove Community Farm & Center for Sustainable Living
http://www.servtech.com/public/funfarm/index.html


----------
> From: Sarah Milstein <milstein@pipeline.com>
> To: csa-l@prairienet.org
> Subject: Re: Pulling back from CSA
> Date: Sunday, August 24, 1997 12:35 PM
> 
> Dori -
> 
> I'm saddened to hear of your disappointing CSA venture.  Where, exactly,
is
> your farm?
> 
> Sarah