"Why Don't I Have Cucumbers in My Share?"-- Fielding Questions from the Pick-up

For some reason, in the last week or two multiple shareholders seemed confused and a little disgruntled about not having something they wanted in their share. Some people wanted turnips but got radishes, others wanted radishes, but got turnips. Some were upset about flowers, others were thrilled about flowers. Someone wanted lettuce, many people didn’t take their lettuce.

Below I will recap the nuts and bolts of how the pick-up works for anyone who missed the orientation meeting, or might still be left wondering. I am happy to explain this over and over again, because well…this is what I do. Distributing vegetables and creating a system that works is, in a nutshell, exactly what my job entails. I spend a ridiculously large amount of time thinking about this and if I got tired of talking about it, I’d be a pretty unhappy farmer! But before I go into all that, I wanted to take this opportunity to touch upon some bigger picture topics.

I manage a CSA because I want to create a community around local food. Part of creating community is creating dialogue. I am always striving to improve my ability to communicate to shareholders how this CSA works and what to expect. Just think, in our first year we didn’t even have orientation meetings! This newsletter is the main way I can communicate with you throughout the season. I want to make sure you have a way of communicating with me. If you have a question or suggestion about the CSA, I want to hear it! As much as this is my farm, this is your farm and I want to help make this work for you. To create this dialogue, you have a few options.

• If you have a question while you are picking up your vegetables about your share, please ask the person staffing the pick-up. All of the working share members have been trained about how the pick-up works, and always update me on the feedback they get. Please remember they are also members of this CSA, just like you. This is an opportunity to strengthen your connection with the other people supporting and living off of the same land as you.
• Please address them with as much respect as you would like to be addressed if you were handing them their vegetables. Also, remember they are likely new to the farm, and if they can’t answer your question, you have some other options.
• Every week there is a questions, comments and suggestions box on the table where you sign in, please do not be shy to put a note in there.
• In addition, I am always working in the field during the pick-up and you are always welcome to come down into the field and talk to me. It is very close to the parking lot, if you haven’t taken a look yet, please do!
• Also, you can email me. Since I’m out in the field most hours of the day, I will admit I am slow to • Please address them with as much respect as you would like to be addressed if you were handing them their vegetables. Also, remember they are likely new to the farm, and if they can’t answer your question, you have some other options.
• Every week there is a questions, comments and suggestions box on the table where you sign in, please do not be shy to put a note in there.
• In addition, I am always working in the field during the pick-up and you are always welcome to come down into the field and talk to me. It is very close to the parking lot, if you haven’t taken a look yet, please do!
• Also, you can email me. Since I’m out in the field most hours of the day, I will admit I am slow to respond… but I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.
• Dialogue and communication are key components to realizing the common goal of creating a food community.

And now, to the nuts and bolts of your questions:
When a vegetable comes into or out of production, only a few are ready. This is the beauty of the diversity of nature, not all pepper plants are the same! Instead of wasting the few ripe vegetables until there are enough for everyone to have one, we pick them, and give them out as they are ready. Because of this we often have small quantities of different vegetables. Another reason we sometimes have small quantities is because if we planted enough of everything for every share member to get the exact same share, we would have MUCH less variety on the farm. Variety equals diversity, and diversity equals a healthy farm ecosystem. Therefore, as you are all learning, the share changes throughout the pick-up. We “pair” vegetables that we have in small quantities. This way they do not go to waste and are still enjoyed by you, and everyone gets the same amount. We also do our best to ensure that the time that certain vegetables go out on the table is rotated so everyone gets a chance to eat the most popular ones and everyone gets exposed to the more rare ones.

If everyone were able to switch the vegetable they didn’t want for one that otherwise wasn’t going out on the table for two more hours, the people who picked up between 6 and 7 would have the option of taking home 6 bunches or collards…or 6 heads of kohlrabi!

Another way we try to give you flexibility in your share is with the swap box. When using the swap box, PLEASE pick up your entire share from the table FIRST. Then trade anything in your share ONE for ONE in the swap box. (We recently started putting more diversity in the swap box at the beginning of the pick-up, as one sharemember requested.) This is important so that you don’t end up taking more or less than you should. Taking more is of course not fair to everyone else who paid the same amount as you. Taking less confuses the *bleep* out of me when I’ve counted and recounted the harvest and I think I’m going crazy because there are still 10 lettuce heads at the end of the pick-up but only 5 people didn’t show up. If you don’t want a vegetable, PLEASE leave it in the swap box. You don’t have to take something out if you don’t want to, but you will increase the choices for the next person coming after you.

If any of this is still confusing, please reference the orientation packet that hopefully all of you got at the orientation meeting. We have extra copies on the table where you sign in. Thank you for your feedback and let’s keep working together to make this CSA work for everyone!

As a quick anecdote- one of the CSA shares goes to the food science teacher and his students every other week at Saul. The week before they receive their share they research recipes and prepare for the vegetables. Before the season began, I was speaking with the teacher, Mr. Amaroso, and expressed my concern that since I can never predict exactly what will be in an individual share, the students might be disappointed about not receiving something they were expecting. His reply made me smile and ensured me that he really understood how eating fresh from the farm works. He said, “That’s part of the challenge! The students will learn that is how CSAs work, and it’ll be a great opportunity for them to learn about food substitutions in recipes!