One Straw Farm

We recently visited Rick and Heather Gaudet of One Straw Farm, a local CSA just down the road from our New Mexico Research Farm, to ask about their experiences running a CSA. With passion for their work and an eye of experience that only comes with time, the Gaudets shared their story. They offered advice for newcomers, information about why they chose to run a CSA, and their personal philosophy about why they feel it is an important and worthy endeavor.

The Farm:
This is Rick and Heather's seventh year running their successful CSA operation. They started with 15 members and have grown to 70 members. They cultivate a wide diversity of vegetables and flowers on about five acres. About 1/3rd of that area is dedicated to their CSA. The rest is sold at local farmers markets and restaurants. Each year the Gaudets invite a couple of apprentices to One Straw. They share what they have learned with the apprentices and get some hands-on help in the field. The Gaudets offer a standard subscription from May through October. For an additional fee, a weekly bouquet of flowers is included. Through the winter months they grow greens in their greenhouses and offer a winter-greens subscription, which includes a big bag of mixed salad greens each week from November through February.

Advice for the beginning CSA:
"Start small", Rick advises. "Be sure you are ready to take on the responsibility and shared risk." He explains that it takes time to learn how to extend the harvest through the season and to produce enough for, without overwhelming, your members. Rick also recommends being diversified in your market outlets, especially when just starting. That way, if there is way too much of one thing you can sell off some at other outlets, such as restaurants or local farmers markets. Rick, of course, has spent many years working out their planting schedules and knows how crops perform in his local climate. He has detailed plans for planting. There are, for example, 6 dates for planting beets and carrots and 10 dates for planting lettuces, which means that he must schedule time for thinning, weeding, and harvesting each succession. Some crops, such as tomatoes, that keep producing throughout the season are only planted once. "No one wants to get all their vegetables in September," he reminds us. Their goal at One Straw is to provide enough of each item in a shareholders box to cook for a family meal. Rick also advises to hold back on crops that keep well, such as garlic. He harvests once, stores the bulbs, and then includes a couple cloves a week in each box. He advises trying some unusual things like rutabagas and parsnips, but sticking to the more common staples such as tomatoes, greens, carrots, and garlic, for the bulk of your planting. Rick also suggests getting feedback from your customers. The first couple of years, at the end of the season, he sent out a detailed survey asking for input, which was plentiful. He says that he still tries to get feedback, but most people respond that, "everything's great, just keep doing what you're doing."

Community:
Heather and Rick feel that one of the richest benefits of running a CSA is the community they gain. Members keep coming back year after year and, as Heather puts it, "they become like family." Each week Heather writes a member newsletter with information about what produce is coming up or being phased out. She also includes news about what is happening on the farm and weekly recipes. They try to find recipes with as many ingredients from the weekly share as possible. Last summer Rick found one recipe for borscht soup from Deborah Madison's new book on farmers markets that had 10 ingredients that were all in that week's harvest. The member-community has provided support for the farm in trades. For example, One Straw Farm's brochure was designed and printed by a member as a share trade. Throughout the season the farm hosts field days on which members are invited to come out and see the farm and even roll up their sleeves and get dirty. The One Straw season has even been known to end with an all-out harvest party complete with music, campfires, and food for all.

Farm Viability:
For Rick and Heather, running the CSA provides financial stability for their farm. They comment that receiving payment up front allows them to purchase needed inputs early in the season, before farmers market sales kick in. They keep track of how much produce is distributed each week so that they can review the operation at the end of the season and ensure that it was a fair trade. Sharing the risk of farming, they feel, takes some of the burden off of the farmer. It is reassuring to know that a portion of the following season's harvest is already sold. They acknowledge that, as the farmer, they have to remember throughout the season that they are fulfilling an obligation to their customers and not get burnt out mid-season. Judging by the success of their farm, I'd guess that their customers know how much they are appreciated.

Micaela Colley, Research Farm Manager