# Meat CSA



## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

Hi folks. I posted this in the CF forum but it got lost in the chatter so I thought I would ask here:

"Does anyone here have experience operating a meat CSA? This is different than selling a side of beef or pork since a prepacked box of mixed meat with 5-20lbs of beef, pork, lamb, goat, poultry, eggs (or other products) is delivered each month.

Likewise, anyone here have a membership in a local meat CSA?

Curious to know your thoughts and experiences. TIA "


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## barefootflowers (Jun 3, 2010)

We are in the beginning stages of a meat CSA. We're in the Portland Oregon area. So far we have provided monthly "boxes" of chickens & eggs. We had an option for turkeys for the holiday time as well. Everyone had to pre-pay deposits as they went along. We were able to sell out in advance & I'm planning on expanding to offering cuts of meat. Right now we just offer "sides" of the other meats like you mentioned. I guess we're using a loose CSA model. I like it because our customers actually pay for the full cost of our livestock before we actually start. Then when they receive their boxes their balance is paid & that's our profit. That helps tremendously with start up costs. It sounds like there are some rules that apply to farmers who offer less than a quarter of a side of beef etc. and that's why we're not yet offering portions of meat each month. I'm looking into a meat handler's license, but again we're just at the start. I don't know if that's what you're looking for, but you can ask me anything & I'll share my experiences so far.


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

We do it - mixed beef & pork with an egg option and a discount on other purchases the day of their pick up. We have pick ups every other week and we based the price off retail prices.

We changed it from last year - now we are only requiring people to sign up for a minimum of 2 months instead of the entire season up front. This was an accounting decision more than anything - we know when we need to butcher and we know if we need more animals certain months etc. This is just the way we did it. We MAY do a 1x per month pick up - still debating but I've been asked by people who live further out if they can do that.

We have the info online if you want to check it out.... 

http://www.chicamarun.com/meatcsa.html

Oh - we tried to do chicken for the CSA last year and it was a pain! Mainly because the dang chickens didn't grow fast enough and then we lost over 40 birds in 1 day because of the heat - it was an awful season for that.

Take note that our pricing is higher than a lot of farms elsewhere because of where we live (45 minutes west of DC) and the cost of living is frankly ridiculous...


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## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks for the replies.

I also run a Meat CSA in the Portland, OR area (monthly deliveries of beef, pork, chicken and eggs). I have more people on my waiting list than are enrolled in the CSA but I am also lucky to be within 4 hours (one way) of a major urban area. The demand is huge and it makes me wonder why more folks aren't throwing their hat into the ring even if they are only able to be the farmers for a handful of families. I will agree that it is a lot more work and planning to manage a year-round CSA than selling seasonal sides but so many of us on HT already raise a steer, hog and some chickens for our freezer. What's adding a few more to at least cover our costs of production?

Has anyone out there thought of starting up a CSA?


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

chicamarun said:


> We do it - mixed beef & pork with an egg option and a discount on other purchases the day of their pick up. We have pick ups every other week and we based the price off retail prices.
> 
> We changed it from last year - now we are only requiring people to sign up for a minimum of 2 months instead of the entire season up front. This was an accounting decision more than anything - we know when we need to butcher and we know if we need more animals certain months etc. This is just the way we did it. We MAY do a 1x per month pick up - still debating but I've been asked by people who live further out if they can do that.
> 
> ...


Your CSA looks really neat! How do you decide what people get each delivery? I'm sure you have to keep several freezers stocked, then take from there? On your site it says based on current market value (or something to that accord)...do you figure that each week or do you decide on a value of specific items at the beginning date? What's an average share look like each delivery and over all (how many pounds of whatever)?


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## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

I'm also interested in how you decide what goes into the share each month especially when it is based on a monetary value of the cuts not pounds in the share. Do you try to have a little bit of everything or a minimum of 3 or 4 items? What does an average share look like?


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

It's based on MY CURRENT RETAIL value  What I am currently selling the stuff for.

We do have a walk-in freezer stocked. So I go through everything we have that week. Towards the end of the season they don't always get the same thing in every bag as there are a lot of 1's and 2's of stuff.

1 box was:

&#8226;	Ground Beef - $4.99/pound
&#8226;	Pork Chops - $7.49/pound
&#8226;	Smoked Sausage - $9.99/pound
&#8226;	Loose Sweet Italian Sausage - $5.49/lb
&#8226;	Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks - $10.00/$11.99/lb

Some weeks are bigger bags some smaller (when they get the rib-eyes etc).

The same week the Beef Only Package (which last year was just $50 retail which we changed this year)

&#8226;	Ground Beef - $4.99/pound
&#8226;	Brisket - $7.99/pound
&#8226;	London Broil - $8.99/pound
&#8226;	Filet Mignon - $15.99/pound

Now remember - I live near DC - if I drove to DC to sell eggs - the current price for fresh free range eggs are $7/dozen!


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## Uncle JD (Dec 1, 2010)

What sort of licensing do you have to have to run a CSA? What sort of insurance do you have to have? For example, what do you do when you get a letter from Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, Attorneys at Law that says,,, "Sally got sick from eating peppers from your CSA and missed work. You are being sued for $250,000.00. 

Is there a certification process to it. I ask because, having done a search I don't find any CSAs up and running in our area. There is one, but I couldn't make contact with anyone there and the last time the web update was done on them was 2005. 

I'd like to explore the idea of starting one. Any advice would be awesome.

blessings,
jd


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## Uncle JD (Dec 1, 2010)

Genevie said:


> I'm also interested in how you decide what goes into the share each month especially when it is based on a monetary value of the cuts not pounds in the share. Do you try to have a little bit of everything or a minimum of 3 or 4 items? What does an average share look like?


Genevie, I sent you a Private message on your profile page here on HT. I also sent a friend request. I do hope to have some more dialogue with you on this CSA stuff. I like it.

blessings,

jd


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## Genevie (Jan 29, 2010)

All that legal stuff about selling meat and the proper licenses to do so a can be very geographically specific so it is hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer. You might try talking with your local extension. 

As for insurance, the type of insurance you are referring to (I got sick by eating your product and I am going to sue!) is called product liability insurance. It is different blanket liability or general farm insurance. Talk with the agent that carries your farm policy. He/she should be able to search around and find a carrier that will underwrite a policy. It is usually based on the gross receipts of the farm products business and shouldn't be more than a couple hundred dollars a year.

Anyone else want to chime in about product liability?

If there aren't many CSAs in your area, try contacting other direct-to-market farms. They may be able to answer your questions too. If you haven't already, try looking on Local Harvest to find farms near you.

Cheers!


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## chicamarun (Dec 26, 2006)

We have $1,000,000 coverage for our farm. It is farm insurance. We have to because of doing markets (they require it).

Other than that - in VA we do not need special permission to set up a CSA.


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