Assessing the economic and social viability of transitioning to Winter CSA production as an adaptation strategy to climate change - Seasons 2 and 3

This research continues the investigation into whether transitioning to a winter CSA model improves economic viability on small-scale, diversified farms while maintaining good environmental stewardship and increasing farmer health, safety, well-being and quality of life in the face of climate change impacts in northern California. This research is being conducted on-site at Red H Farm and with some collaboration from other CSA farms in northern California. It begins to look at the customer perceptions of a monthly winter CSA model, potential resulting marketing hurdles, and how to overcome them.

Red H Farm's sales model is historically comprised of direct marketing through farmers market (75%) and restaurant or summer CSA sales (25%). Red H Farm is transitioning much of its growing space to longer season, lower value, diversified crops such as winter squash, potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, dry beans, popcorn, drying peppers, herbs for drying, and tomatoes and strawberries for processing or freezing to be distributed through a monthly, winter storage crop CSA program. We are employing Google Suite (forms, sheets and docs) for tracking, data collection, field notes, and analysis, and are incorporating comparative analysis of historical farm records to determine if this is a viable business strategy that maintains or increases farm economic viability, decreases field labor during extreme climate conditions, supports good environmental stewardship practices and supports farmer health, safety and well-being.

Objective 1. Determining if growing lower-value, long season storage crops is economically viable on small-scale diversified farms without undermining ecological practices.

Methods and Materials: Mixed methods analysis will be used including enterpriseanalysis, literature review, recordkeeping via excel/google spreadsheets, comparative analysis with historical farm records (including outcomes from the first season of research), and qualitative field notes. This research question is being investigated through quantitative enterprise analysis taking into account existing, foundational research focused on cost of production including Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont’s Cost of Production Project, Pasa’s Financial Benchmarks for Direct-Market Vegetable Farms 2021 report, Know Your Cost to Grow and Oregon Tilth’s work supporting farmers using cost information for business decision-making. Most of this existing research does not take into account the added value that a CSA brings (community, farm connection, recipe sharing, newsletters, etc.) and how that added value can increase crop value when compared to wholesale or farmers market distribution. For this reason, these analyses do not directly translate to understanding if this crop selection and market channel is competitive. Overall year-end quantitative comparisons will bring tremendous value. Through careful record-keeping using excel spreadsheets and comparative analysis to years past of revenue, costs and labor-hours we will learn whether or not this business model is competitive with previous models focused on higher-labor and primarily spring-fall crops sold through farmers markets. We will ascertain if this model can pay a living wage. Through record-keeping, qualitative field notes and historical comparisons we will learn if we are able to maintain the same level of good environmental stewardship including using no-till methods, cover cropping, compost applications, straw mulching, ferment and compost tea applications, drip irrigation, dry farming and the integration of pollinator and beneficial habitat, despite the focus on lower-value crops.

Objective 2. Determining the most and least compelling aspects of a MONTHLY winter CSA model, for actual and potential customers, to help ascertain and overcome marketing hurdles. 

Methods and Materials: Surveys (online using google forms and in person). These surveys will NOT gather personal, demographic, or other identifying information. Monthly CSA models can work in a winter context because the majority of crops are held in storage and can be given out in larger quantities. Furthermore, it supports a work-life balance for farmers who do not have to go to weekly markets or host a weekly CSA pickup. Using google forms and paper forms we will survey current CSA and farmers market customers through our existing regional networks to determine why someone may feel compelled or disinterested in this unique model. What assumptions are there? How then, can a farmer create a marketing strategy to address otherwise unspoken concerns?  Survey questions will be formatted for narrative and numeric and/or Likert scale responses to facilitate data aggregation and trend analysis. This will help us determine if there is a market for winter CSAs and how a farmer might build their model with potential client interest in mind.

Objective 3. Determining if shifting to long season storage crops for winter CSA distribution supports farmer health, safety, well-being, and farm economic viability. 

Methods and Materials: Qualitative field notes and farmer self-survey via google sheets, forms and/or docs, comparative analysis between research data points collected, and comparative analysis with years past. Central to this research is an investigation into whether this shift in model increases farmer health, safety, and well-being as well as farm economic viability. This assessment will be carried out through daily and weekly qualitative and quantitative field notes focused on climate conditions, hours and labor-type tracking, ability to shift out of fieldwork when environmental conditions become uncomfortable or unsafe, ability to take time off (measured against historical trends of the operation and standard holidays, vacation, and sick leave for the general public), ability to earn a living wage and overall satisfaction/well-being. Field notes will be recorded through google sheets. Farmer survey questions will be formatted for numeric and/or Likert scale responses to facilitate data aggregation and trend analysis. These records can be qualitatively coded for major themes as well as translated into comparative charts and graphs showing trends, relationships between different factors and the relationship between climate events and farmer health, safety and well-being.