Why Community Supported Agriculture?
CSA at Trauger’s
Trauger’s has marketed produce through our retail store on the farm for many years. We also travel to off site farmers markets in Doylestown and Saucon Valley where we retail through open air markets. We are looking to diversify our marketing methods to offer our customers a unique experience to get closer to their food and learn more about local agriculture.
Community Supported Agriculture or CSA as it is known is not a new idea in the marketing of produce, just one that is constantly being reinvented. The original method of CSA’s was that a number of people would purchase land, hire a farmer and divide what was produced, this is called a share. This meant that they were taking a financial risk with the farmer. If there was a bountiful year, they reaped the benefits, but if the crop suffered there was less to enjoy. Traditionally the farmer decided how much and of what the customer received on a weekly basis, usually based on the availability of the harvest.
Today’s CSA’s and the one that will be held at Trauger’s hold less risk for those who place their faith in the farmer, but still an important advantage for us.
Good for you, Good for us
The Community Supported Agriculture program at Trauger’s is a win-win situation for both you the customer and us the producer. You the subscriber will receive a 10% discount on every purchase you make with you’re your CSA card, helping to save you money on the fresh, local produce. It will also help you become more knowledgeable about the food that your family eats. You will also become closer to the farm that your food comes from through various on farm events throughout the season.
We at Trauger’s will benefit from the CSA through the aid it will give us in getting the season started. Seed, fertilizer, greenhouse, land preparation, planting and many other costs are met by all agriculture operations in the spring. Through the CSA program we will be able to better meet the needs of the new season, and better serve you the customer with farm fresh fruits and vegetables.
How does Trauger’s CSA work?
Trauger’s CSA will serve you the customer with all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that we are known for growing. There will be several new technologies and techniques that can make this a better and more flexible market for you. Shares will be sold in the off season for $250, $500 or $1000. The share will be received by you the customer in the form of a “credit card.” This credit card will function like an electronic gift card for you. The period to use the balance of your card will be between April 1st and December 31st. The card or share must be paid for in full using cash, check or credit card before the card can be activated. Any balance that remains on the card after December 31st can no longer be redeemed. You may spend your share balance at any of our retail locations: the on farm store, the Doylestown Farmers Market or the Saucon Valley Farmers Market. This will give you the flexibility to shop were it is most convenient for you.
Products that may be purchased will be specified by us on a weekly basis, but will include all of the products that we are currently harvesting on our farm. This will be most important at our farm store where we carry bulk items and other products that are not from our farm. These products will not be available for purchase with the CSA share card. Products that are available for purchase will be listed on a white board and can be checked each time you enter the store or market. You the CSA customer will receive a 10% discount on each of your purchases made with your CSA subscription. This discount will be assessed at the time of the purchase of the CSA share. This means that a $250 share purchase is actually worth $275, a $500 share is worth $550 and a $1000 share is worth $1100. We will also pass along numerous savings to our CSA customers throughout the season in the form of discounts and specials available only to those with a CSA card.