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Re: member retention



We have a multifacitted approach to subscriber retention and generation.  We
sell all of our produce directly.  Either through the CSA or at the local
Farmers' Market.  It took us five years to establish a thriving Farmers'
Market where many growers and consumers show up every week.  Once the volume
at the Market became established, we started our CSA.  We recruited 20
subscribers the first year.  We wanted to ensure that we could sustain our
presence at the Market while pre-selling half of our produce to subscribers .
It worked very well.  The following year, we increased our CSA subscriptions
to 42.  Again, we recruited mostly from the Farmers' Market.  People would
ask,"Do you have tomatoes, or corn, or asperagus now?" We informed them that
we did, but it was going out through the CSA first.  This ploy often created a
waiting list for the following year of people who wanted first pick.  Now we
are servicing 55 subscriptions.  
       Once we had the committment of subscribers, we continuously asked for
feedback from them regarding the amounts and variety of produce they received.
As such, we learned that having an "extras box" available really increased
subscriber appreciation.  We put out a box with extra carrots, beets,
tomatoes, potatoes, &/or summer squash.  You know, the ones that don't look
good enough to sell but still taste fine.  Subscribers then go through their
bags and discard whatever it is they don't like or have had enough of and pick
up an extra garlic or salad mix because they're having company that week.  We
also sell organic eggs from a cooler on pickup days.  We used to include eggs
as part of the subscription.  But we found that there are a number of people
who don't eat eggs.
      We also rely heavily on an end of year survey.  We give everyone a
survey form with a self addressed stamped envelope on the last scheduled
pickup day.  We get a 90% return of the surveys which is outstanding.  We also
have an 80% retention from one year to the next.  All of our attrition is from
people who either moved away or had too much trouble getting to the farm to
pick up their subscriptions.  Subscriptions left for more than 24 hours were
either sold at the Farmers' Market or donated to a food bank.  
      We offer subscriptions to current members from August 1st through
September.  On October 1st we send applications out to the waiting list we
generated all summer at the Market.  It adds a little edge of competition for
our memberships.  We have always been sold out by February 1st.
      As our CSA grows we have less and less of a presence at the Farmers'
Market.  Yet, a presence is very important for us.  We sell our bumper crops,
produce that isn't enough to distribute to the CSA, eggs, herbal soaps and
skin creams at the Market.  Other growers are taking up the slack at the
Market and actually starting their own CSAs.  It seems to be an excellent
match.  We rarely go home with produce from the Market now.  We used to have a
lot more wastage before we started the CSA.
       If you don't have a Farmers' Market, see if you can organize one in
your "spare time" this winter.  Our city government has been very supportive
of our Market.  We sell from a city parking lot specially designed for the
Market next to the City Hall.  (grasscrete pavers, water, power, public
restrooms, etc.)  It is a politically correct activity for city administrators
to support local food production and economies.  

Good luck Leigh & Beth,              Art at Ocean Sky Farm